The Victorian Treaty Advancement Commissioner, Jill Gallagher, AO, has announced extensions to voting and candidate nominations for the First People's Assembly of Victoria.
According to the Commissioner, the decision was based on community feedback rather than lower than expected candidate nomination numbers.
At the time of this story going to air, there were only two of the five electoral areas with enough candidates to ensure a contested election.
The Commissioner emphasised that "...we are this close to a competitive election." and that there are other nominations that have been received and waiting for processing.
She refused to comment on just how many nominations had been received.
"In hindsight [and given the level of work that needed to be done], we can look back and say that the time-frame we were handed was unrealistic," she said.
She went on to say that it was important for community be given additional time to consider nominating for Assembly candidacy.
When asked if she felt the Commission was being pushed unrealistically by the State Government to achieve an Assembly declaration, she responded: "I'm not going to point the finger at any one area. I think there was a sense of urgency from all corners."
Important Notes: Information on voting, enrolment and candidate nominations can be found on the First People's Assembly of Victoria website at: www.firstpeoplesvic.org