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  • 2 days ago
The people of Mount Gambier will be without a representative in State Parliament's Lower House until next year's election. The incumbent Troy Bell has officially resigned after failing to clear his name over theft and fraud charges. A decision's been made not to hold a by-election in the seat but opinion's divided on whether that's the right call.

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00:01The bell tolls for Troy Bell.
00:05I have today received an email from Mr Troy Bell resigning his seat.
00:10The member for Mount Gambier officially bowed out to Parliament,
00:13days after he lost an appeal against theft and fraud charges.
00:17Speaker Leon Bignall opting not to hold a by-election in his seat,
00:21leaving it vacant until the March state election.
00:24He says an election would have cost nearly a million dollars
00:27and the new member would have spent as few as six days in Parliament.
00:32The people of Mount Gambier at the 2018 and 2022 election
00:36voted for Troy Bell to be their local member of Parliament
00:39in full knowledge of the charges he was facing.
00:42Mr Bignall consulted with the Electoral Commissioner,
00:44but Troy Bell's old party suggested the Speaker's decision
00:47was politically motivated.
00:49I can tell you right now, he didn't ask me for my opinion.
00:52If he did, I would have said there absolutely must be a by-election.
00:56Mr Bignall, who's running for Labor at the election,
00:59returned fire in a heated exchange during question time.
01:03At no time, and I want to tell the people of Mount Gambier,
01:05at no time has the Liberal Party made any representation to me
01:09about conducting a by-election ahead of the general election.
01:13On the ground in SA's second biggest city,
01:15there was mixed reaction to the news.
01:18That's shocking. We're unrepresented.
01:20We've got no-one to have a voice on our part till March.
01:25I think it's a bit rough on the people that need that person
01:27in the high power of the Parliament, sort of local Parliament,
01:30to be able to discuss things or any issues that pop up.
01:33So I don't think it's a very wise way they're going.
01:37I'm sort of in favour of that.
01:38I've heard a little bit about the cost involved as well
01:41of having a by-election, and I thought, well,
01:44that's going to save that money.
01:46Mount Gambier was once a safe Liberal seat,
01:49but that changed when Troy Bell quit the party in 2017
01:53to sit as an independent.
01:55The opposition are now looking to reclaim
01:57the South East electorate at the March 2026 state election,
02:01after losing three other seats during this term.
02:04Labor says it's taking the seat seriously
02:07and expects to announce its candidate
02:09for the general election shortly.
02:14with the default adoption of this country.
02:19There is a pregunta between Joe Bell
02:26and the reveal would have observed and donated
02:29over the 정도로 at the juncture market,
02:31due to the extent lockdown.
02:32I want to think rural it may be in Somerville.
02:34I bet byihenha Maldonnuzy,
02:37the family that they feel assessed
02:39in the mantle of myself and his resistance

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