Opinion/ Changing the Goal Posts and the Rules Without Telling the Players

DOUGLASNEWS.NETWORK

The current Daintree River Crossing Options poll has become a football match where the umpires have changed the goal posts and the rules without telling the players, in the middle of game.

At the Mossman public consultation meeting on Friday, Council staff advised that people who are not happy with either of the two options presented on the survey postcard, can cross out both of them, and write in their own preference such as maintaining the single-ferry service, “leave as is.” These comments will be taken into consideration in the quantitative results.

Similarly, people who vote online at http://www.douglassurvey.com can skip voting for either of the two options, and record their alternate preference in the comments. These comments will be considered in the quantitative results.

This comes as a revelation to concerned residents and ratepayers. Many voters have already simplified their choice to either the bridge or two-ferry option, without realising they could express an alternate view on the survey postcard or online.  Apart from concerned community members at Friday’s meeting, very few residents are aware of this change in the Council’s submission process.

This change to the process in the middle of a poll, without informing the voters, calls into question the credibility and competency of the data-collecting process.  It could be seen as unfair and unethical.

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