Whenever an election comes around, whether it be for Parliament or local government, the knives will come out at some stage as candidates and supporters strive for the extra advantage, and people who might be friends in any other setting suddenly become enemies at war.
Thus it is that rumours emerge about candidates who may have a skeleton or two in the closet, such as criminal offending. This raises several issues, such as does it matter, if so, how much, and whose obligation is it to divulge such information, if anyone's at all?
The simple fact is that people eligible to stand for public office do not have to divulge whether they have criminal convictions.
They are ineligible to stand, or even vote, if they are serving a prison sentence.
There is at least a smidgeon of irony, for if you're going for any other job the prospective employer has some sort of entitlement to know what miscreancy blemishes one's past, albeit within the constraints of the Clean Slate Act.
