Today’s Sydney Morning Herald (2 Oct 2009) contained an incorrect account of the outcome of last Tuesday night’s Randwick City Council mayoral election. The story implied that Labor Councillor Tony Bowen was defeated for the Mayor’s position by a breakaway Labor councillor who had the support of the Liberals and Greens.
This is not true.
The Greens promised to vote for Bowen and we honoured that promise as we have done so for the past Labor and Liberal Mayors that we have promised to support.
We voted with Bowen against the Liberals, independents and the break away Labor Councillor. In the end Cr Bowen got the three Greens and only 3 out of the 5 Labor votes. Greens Councillor Bradley Hughes was defeated for the Deputy Mayoral position by Liberal Robert Bellelie by the same voting pattern.
This is the first time in 5 years that the Randwick-Botany Greens have been on the losing end of a mayoral election in Randwick and suggests that the Council’s unique system of sharing the mayoralty is now at an end.
In the past the Greens have been successful in implementing an inclusive sharing program in which the mayoralty was shifted around between Labor, the Liberals and The Greens. This would now appear to be in danger of breaking down.
I urge the Randwick Liberal and Labor councillors not to forget the many positive benefits that inclusiveness has brought to the residents and ratepayers of the Council.
Randwick City Greens Councillor Murray Matson