[PHONE RINGS]

SONIA: Good morning this is the Victorian Electoral Commission. My name is Sonia. How may I help you.

MOHAMMED: Hi, my name is Mohammed. I am a student and I have homework about the Australian government and elections my teacher told me to ring you for information. Can I ask you some questions?

SONIA: Hi Mohammed, yes I can give you the information you need. What would you like to know?

MOHAMMED: Why does the teacher say that voting is important in Australia?

SONIA: Because Australia is a democracy. We vote for people who make laws and decide on services for us. That is why voting is very important.

MOHAMMED: How many levels of government are there in Australia?

SONIA: In Australia there are 3 levels of government: federal, state, and local.

This is Australia's Parliament House. It has 2 houses: House of Representatives or Lower House, and Senate or Upper House. The federal government is in Canberra. It makes decisions for all of Australia, for example: immigration, tax, Centrelink, Medicare and defence. The leader of the Federal Government is the Prime Minister.

MOHAMMED: What about the State Government?

SONIA: This is Parliament House Victoria. It also has 2 houses: Legislative Assembly or Lower House, and Legislative Council or Upper House. The Victorian Government is in Melbourne. It makes decisions for the state of Victoria, for example schools, hospitals, public transport, housing and police. The leader of the State Government is the Premier.

MOHAMMED: And local government?

SONIA: Local government or local council. You vote in the council area in which you live. Local councils make decisions about local issues. Councils look after rubbish collection, parks, community centres, childcare, parking, libraries, swimming pools, youth centres, cultural festivals and other services. The leader of your local council is the mayor.

[SCREEN:] On the next video: learn more about the VEC, how to enrol and how to vote.

SONIA: Let's learn more about the VEC, how to enrol and how to vote.

MOHAMMED: What does the Victorian Electoral Commission do?

SONIA: The VEC is an independent organization. We are not a government department. We run state and local government elections and other community polls. We teach people how to vote correctly. We also look after the electoral roll

MOHAMMED: What is the electoral roll?

SONIA: It is a list of Australian citizens aged 18 and over who have enrolled to vote. It shows their name and current address.

MOHAMMED: Who can vote in Australia?

SONIA: All Australian citizens aged 18 and over must enrol and must vote at every Federal, State and local council election. Non-citizens who pay council rates can enrol to vote at council elections only. This is a special rule. Are you enrolled to vote?

MOHAMMED: No.

SONIA: Are you an Australian citizen and over 18 years old?

MOHAMMED: Yes I am. How do I enrol?

SONIA: You can get an enrolment form from a post-office. Fill it in and send it to the VEC. If you want

help to fill in a form, please ring us on 131 832 - or on an interpreter line 9209 0112. You can also get one from our website: vec.vic.gov.au.

MOHAMMED: Thank you for the information, I will get an enrolment form after this conversation.

What happens if I move house?

SONIA: It is very important that you let us know if you move to a new place or change your name. You can use an enrolment form to update your details and send it to us.

MOHAMMED: How do I vote?

SONIA: in Australia we use numbers when voting. let's look at how to vote in Victorian state elections. You get two ballot papers: a smaller one for the Lower House and a bigger one for the Upper House. To vote for the Lower House, write 1 next to the name of the candidate you would most like to win the election, then write 2 for the candidate you like 2nd, 3 for the one you like 3rd, and so on until every box is numbered.

To vote for the Upper House, you can vote above the line or below the line. To vote above the line pick one party who you want to win and write the number 1 in a box next to the party's name above the black line. To vote below the line you need to pick at least 5 candidates. Write the number 1 in the box next to the candidate you would most like to win the election, then write 2 for the candidate you like 2nd, 3 for the one you like 3rd, 4 for the one you like 4th, and 5 for the one you like 5th. You can number more candidates if you wish but you must choose at least 5 candidates.

MOHAMMED: Can the VEC teach us how to vote?

SONIA: Yes we can. Please contact us. We can come to you and teach your community how to vote

MOHAMMED: Do I have to vote if I'm overseas?

SONIA: When there is an election you are encouraged to vote but you will not be fined if you do not vote. Please keep your tickets to show us that you were overseas

MOHAMMED: OK I think I can do my homework now. Thank you very much for your help.

SONIA: If you need more information you can visit our website: vec.vic.gov.au, you can send an email to info@vec.vic.gov.au or ring us again [131 832]. We also have an interpreter line 9209 0112, or contact us on 133677 through the National Relay Service. We'll be happy to help you.

MOHAMMED: Thank you, bye.

SONIA: Bye Mohammed, good luck with your homework.