iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

In which I give Kevin my data and he does something I never thought of: What if we just ignored an outlier councillor entirely? The results are fascinating. #lgtas

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 16h

Ballot packs for the #lgtas elections go out this week, which seems as good a time as any to launch this cycle's edition of the Quick Links. Links to candidate statements and prefilled VotePlans at your fingertips! lgtas.tantusar.au/2026/

A screenshot of the site in question, a grid of the 29 Tasmanian councils, with logos and links to VotePlan and candidate statements.

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 02/10/2026

#lgtas candidate statements are out. Once again about 5% of candidates couldn't be bothered, and about a third of those are mayoral or deputy mayoral candidates. Inclusion of web links WAY down after the specific field was removed, and several attempts to include in text garbled.

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 29/09/2026

With the (now) conclusion of #lgtas nominations, the time has finally come for the Graph of Futility! Despite everything, there is still a sea of candidates you've never heard of and will never hear of again. A bespoke Robson Rotation matrix is required in Hobart. #politas

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 29/09/2026

Nominations for the unfilled #lgtas positions have been taken and announced. Three candidates exist for the two King Island positions, EIGHT candidates exist for the one Tasman position. Where the hell were you a week ago? #politas

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 22/09/2026

In somewhat more frivolous #lgtas matters, here's a look at the changes between council logos used at the 2022 and 2026 elections. Not a lot to see here with most but let's see what we can spot: (a thread)

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 22/09/2026

Per TEC comms, #politas #lgtas candidate statements will be published on their website by the end of next week, in HTML form rather than PDFs. (That means just webpages, which is probably the better choice for accessibility anyway!)

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 22/09/2026

Some quick statistics: The retirement rate at these #lgtas elections is 28.52% compared to 29.28% in 2022. The elections for Break O'Day, Brighton, Burnie City and Central Coast have more renominees than there are now, post-reduction, available seats.

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 16/09/2026

In other #auspol #JSCEM news, they're talking to Australia Post on Friday.

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 16/09/2026

My final supplemental submission to the #JSCEM 2025 #auspol election inquiry was published today.

Page 1 of the author's final supplementary submission to the JSCEM for the 2025 federal election. Contains a table of contents, a short introduction, and abbreviated terms used in the submission.

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 03/09/2026

The NEXT set of #lgtas electoral reforms have been tabled in #politas parliament in the form of a dedicated electoral bill and a bill with consequential and other amendments. ...And we're still using original flavour last parcel Gregory for the count. Boooooooo.

Page 165 of the Local Government Electoral Bill 2026, with a portion of Schedule 1, section 11(4)(a) highlit, describing that when a candidate is elected after having votes transferred, only the votes most recently transferred are used to fill the surplus.

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 26/08/2026

The #lgtas councillor reductions passed Parliament on the 11th and were granted Royal Assent on the 21st, but because they come into effect on a day to be proclaimed, today, 12 days from the opening of nominations, they still are not in place. #politas

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 10/08/2026

Well, I'm having a rough day, but at least I own this stupid #auspol shirt now. Shame it couldn't turn up in time for the hearing.

I think you'll find...
I Number All Of The Boxea
Becausr ticking the boxes would not result in a formal House of Representatives vote under sections 240 and 268 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918, and I always vote formally in federal elections.

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 05/08/2026

well that was exhausting. don't recall getting any questions on notice but still some stuff to clean up over the next couple of weeks *long exhale*

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 04/08/2026

Former Senator Catryna Bilyk is added to tomorrow's #auspol #JSCEM schedule. Parliament remains misspelt.

Schedule for the Federal Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters hearing at Parliament House, Hobart on Wednesday 5 August 2026

11:15 am: Senator Peter Whish-Wilson and Senator Michelle Ananda-Rajah
12:00 pm: Mr Thomas Chick
12:45 pm: Break
1:30pm: Dr Kevin Bonham
2:15pm: Dr Robert Hortle, Dr Lachlan Johnson and Mr Doug Chipman
3:00pm: Mrs Catryna Bilyk
3:45pm: Close

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 02/08/2026

#auspol #JSCEM chair Laxale replied the next day, on Twitter: "To give our committee a briefing about their recent inquiry on misinformation in the climate space They suggest lots of crossover on use of AI, truth in advertising and other issues that they would like to share with our committee..."

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 02/08/2026

writing down my opening statement for wednesday's #JSCEM hearing has not, in fact, improved my nerves about the whole thing it has, however, told me that my opening statement will easily fit within the three minutes allotted for it, so that's nice

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 31/07/2026

#auspol #JSCEM hearing schedule for Hobart on Wed released. Two senators, [insert self-deprecating remark], three members of UTAS' Tasmanian Policy Exchange including a former Clarence mayor, and @kevinbonham.bsky.social. Just ignore the guy in slot 2, not important at all.

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 18/07/2026

candidate statement requirements for the #lgtas elections have been published. they've killed the weblink field so now if you want a weblink, it comes out of your 600 characters. and that's assuming you remember you can. this will SURELY help the "who's this dingus" problem.

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Reposted by Tantusar

Kevin Bonham @kevinbonham.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

#JSCEM interim report on 2025 election mainly dealing with polling place conduct - not a full coverage of JSCEM issues. Recommendations include enforced code of conduct for booth campaigners and zones and personnel limits around booths. parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/dow...

parlinfo.aph.gov.au

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 28/06/2026

Confirmed via the Sunday Tasmanian: the amended #lgtas amendments will not be passed until three weeks before nominations open. #politas

Sunday Tasmanian, June 28, 2026
New reforms to shape local council elections
Rob Inglis
A specific paragraph is circled:
“There is every intention for the lower house to agree to the Legislative Council amendments when it next sits in August, with the bill to be enacted in time for the October elections,” he said.

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 25/06/2026

The Local Government Amendment (Targeted Reform) Bill 2026 has been passed by the Legislative Council with amendments and returned to the House of Assembly. (Attempts were made to prevent the councillor reduction, but these were unsuccessful.) #politas #lgtas

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 18/05/2026

Councillor Christian Street elected by secret ballot to be #Kingborough Deputy Mayor (and eventual Acting Mayor) until October's #lgtas elections. The election, held at tonight's meeting, concluded with a majority for Cr Street after the first round.

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 02/05/2026

Obviously no results yet, but we do now have the VEC's 2CP pick... LIB Marsh v IND Hutchison? I suspect that one'll quickly be pulled back in. #springst #Nepean (cc @kevinbonham.bsky.social @benraue.com @pollbludger.bsky.social)

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 11/04/2026

Missed that the 2025 #politas election report came out last month. Looking at omissions in prefs: No *obvious* bump at only 5 prefs, which was the pre-2024 requirement (and about half had non-6 later numbering) but the bump at only 6 prefs (Senate ATL req) is stark. Similar systems affect formality!

A chart showing percentages of votes at the 2021, 2024 and 2025 Tasmanian general elections that were informal for incomplete sequences of preferences.

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 31/03/2026

utter mind-numbing cowardice from the PM

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 25/03/2026

My supplemental #JSCEM submission went up today, including a 66-page table of pre-poll voting centre attendance data and a 4-page table (🖼) outlining the rates at which below-the-line Senate votes left their first marked column before marking every box (national rate 17.84%). But also: #auspol 1/🧵

Below-the-line voting data for the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales

Below-the-line voting data for the Northern Territory and Queensland

Below-the-line voting data for South Australia and Tasmania

Below-the-line voting data for the Victoria and Western Australia

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 19/03/2026

increasingly many people don't really give a toss about the whole "you should be voting on election day proper" deal. the answer is clearly NOT compressing them into a tighter timeframe, but good luck convincing anyone in charge of that. #auspol

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 19/03/2026

earlier than i was expecting but glad to see this is out now #auspol

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 07/03/2026

The first regular weekly video by @loadingreadyrun.com, "A Brief History of Lame," released on 2003-10-24. The last, "The LoadingReadyRumble 2," released on 2014-12-30. Today in Canada it is 2026-03-07, and that is as far (4,085 days) from Rumble 2 as Rumble 2 was from A Brief History.

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 04/03/2026

Today in #JSCEM nonsense (the second deadline has passed and they're now sifting through the further submissions): Submission 308 claims that preferential voting is actually first-past-the-post, then complains that surplus votes or votes for losers are wasted. Incorrect on both counts. #auspol

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 20/02/2026

throwing together a supplemental #JSCEM submission based on what i've seen so far, and realising that while on the face of it i don't oppose a proportional voting system in the lower house, generically, there may not be a SPECIFIC system that could actually satisfy me. standards too high. :( #auspol

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 13/01/2026

"Sand Seal, Delivered" A sand sculpture of Neil the Seal, at the stadium end of Bellerive Beach 🧵

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 02/01/2026

sometimes you have to print something out and stick it in a display book to make it feel real and important and something to be proud of #JSCEM

The author's submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters' inquiry into the conduct of the 2025 [Australian] federal election and other matters, printed out and stuck in a display book

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 30/12/2025

The time has come, I have revamped my one-page personal website: tantusar.au

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 26/12/2025

Just found out the Tasmanian Electoral Commission is moving from the TasWater building to North Hobart in one of the former Procreate buildings. (~15min walk from the Elizabeth St mall.) Fantastic news, love having less reasons to go all the way up to Moonah. #politas

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 11/12/2025

Oh hey, my #auspol #JSCEM submission [235] got approved in the same tranche as @kevinbonham.bsky.social [243] today! (With how late to it I know we both were (at least prior to the February extension) I wasn't expecting either to hit the web until after the new year.)

The 12th page of submissions to the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters' inquiry into the 2025 federal election. Submission 235, by Mr Thomas Chick, is circled.

The 13th page of submissions to the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters' inquiry into the 2025 federal election. Submission 243, by Dr Kevin Bonham, is circled.

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 09/12/2025

Completely missed that the #auspol #JSCEM reopened submissions and the new deadline is the end of February. So I guess that's not wrapping up anytime soon.

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 04/12/2025

2:45am given as the time of adjournment in the draft votes and proceedings. #politas

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 29/11/2025

Another #auspol year over, another Dynamic Rüd from the Senate: adjourned.senate.gov.au/2025/ Unfortunately, Rudolph's anti-discrimination bill has once more been referred to committee. No reindeer games for the poor chap this year.

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 19/11/2025

Another #auspol election, another #JSCEM submission from Mackerras [0141] railing hopelessly against the idea that, maybe, sometimes, lying to the public by instructing them to do more than strictly required on Senate ballots MIGHT actually be acting in their best interests.

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 13/11/2025

I have come to the conclusion that there is nothing more I can put into this #auspol #JSCEM submission and have put it into their hands. Come back in Some Time™ when it goes public and I am allowed to show it off.

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 30/10/2025

The #auspol #JSCEM have announced that submissions to the 2025 Federal Election inquiry will close on Friday, 14 November 2025, alongside an initial dump of 86 submissions. Tomorrow's hearing takes evidence from Global Shield, Prof Rubenstein and the EIAT.

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 14/10/2025

A long day ahead for the #auspol #JSCEM tomorrow as they open their public hearings with the AEC, two think tanks, a former MP, and two academics.

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 19/09/2025

Charles Wooley resigns as Deputy Mayor and Councillor after moving out of the #Sorell area. The resignation will result in a recount for councillor and a ballot of the councillors for deputy mayor. Both positions expire in October 2026. #lgtas www.sorell.tas.gov.au/2025/09/resi...

sorell.tas.gov.au

Resignation of Deputy Mayor Charles Wooley - Sorell Council

Yesterday Deputy Mayor Charles Wooley notified Council of his resignation. Councillor Wooley has moved outside the Municipality making him ineligible to continue to serve on Council. Council has notif...

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 03/09/2025

i better actually write this stupid submission, eh

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Tantusar @tantusar.au · 19/08/2025

Actually learnt something about parliamentary procedure today. The pro forma Acts Enumeration Amendment Bill is a fascinating bit of legislative tradition. #politas

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