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A GREATER Taree City councillor is appealing for the public to demand more in-depth background checks of politicians, stating that "it should be something the community should call for."
Councillor David West, the current Taree deputy mayor and a former policeman, said that the current electoral process turns a blind-eye to a range of issues, such as "habitual corporate crime, a person who has issues of domestic violence, (and) habitual assaults, domestic or otherwise."
Councillor West moved the motion for a change in legislation at the council's monthly meeting in May.
"It's about people having faith in the people they elect to represent them," said Councillor West.
"To be in that position of trust, you have to be a fit and proper person."
While there are a number of disqualifications under the 1983 Local Government Act which prevent a person from holding civic office, no background check is required of a returning officer prior to accepting a candidate nomination or declaring a candidate elected, according to an enquiries officer at the NSW Electoral Commission.
"There is no mandatory requirement to disclose anything, and that's what's wrong with the system," said councillor West.
"What should be taken into account is who you are and how you got there."
The move comes after the criminal record of Queensland MP Billy Gordon was made public earlier this year.
The record included break and enter offences, public nuisance and breaching bail and probation, and also revealed his mother took out an apprehended violence order against him in 2008.
Councillor West said that mandatory, in-depth background checks were essential in the public trusting their representatives.
"Shouldn't the community have the right to know about that?" he said.
Once elected into office, councillor West said that representatives need to understand that "your privacy is no longer private."
Councillor West emphasised that the changes would help the public have more faith in their elected leaders.
"It's not a muck-raking thing," he said.
"It's about making people accountable."