The swings to Labor and the Greens in the Inner West Council (IWC) election show a strong mood for progressive change. Two former Liberal councillors (who ran as Independents) were not re-elected receiving a 17.6% swing against them.
The new council looks likely to comprise eight听Labor councillors, five听Greens and two progressive independents. (Two wards are currently being recounted 鈥斕齭econd Labor spot in Marrickville-Midjuburi and Leichhardt-Gulgadya wards.) Labor received a +4.7% swing, the Greens +7.2 % and Independents +2.2.
The previous听IWC, the first since the NSW government鈥檚 forced council amalgamation in 2016, had been dogged by controversy starting with then Labor Mayor Darcy Byrne's听deal with two Liberal councillors for the position.
The dominant Labor-Liberal alliance in that council led to one controversy after another: Liberal deputy Mayor Julie Passas's homophobia was just the tip of the iceberg. The lack of a working relationship between councillors from different groups, and badly prepared and overly-long council meeting agendas allowed the Mayor and council staff to run the show.
Byrne, who Labor has announced will be their mayoral candidate, recorded a听-7%听swing in Gulgadya.听Leichhardt Green听candidate for mayor Kobi Shetty听recorded a +11.5% swing. Independent councillor and 鈥淵es鈥澨齭upporter John Stamolis recorded +1.1%.
A successful motion, brought听in May by Independents Victor Macri and John Stamolis听to ask residents their view on the forced council merger听was fought every step of the way by Labor councillors. Stamolis听was re-elected in听Gulgadya听ward.
Residents for Deamalgamation, a听resident-initiated group, was听formed in July to work with both councillors supporting the poll and residents who favoured giving the community a direct say.
It was successful, with 62.5% voting 鈥淵es鈥 to demerger and 37.5% voting 鈥淣o鈥. The听small informal vote, less than that logged for the election of new councillors, underscored just how much residents听want听to be given an opportunity to be heard.
Socialist Alliance candidate Pip Hinman, who worked with councillors on the 鈥淵es鈥 to demerger听campaign, received 3.7% of the vote in Damun ward. Independent Pauline Lockie, who supported the poll but is not in favour of de-amalgamation, took the third spot in that ward.
The composition of the new council poses a political challenge to Labor whose councillors have an outright majority. They could be collegial, or not.
Labor councillors, old and new, have publicly stated they will respect the majority 鈥淵es鈥 vote. If they, the Greens and the independents organise with residents committed to the demerger, there are the grounds for mounting听a strong campaign to force the NSW government to respect residents鈥 views and follow their own amended Local Government Act which provides the pathway.
Of 107,000 voters, 38,000听voted for Labor (36%), but听65,000 voted听鈥淵es鈥 to demerge (62.5%).
The strong 鈥淵es鈥 vote sent a powerful signal to the conservative government that communities are not happy with having powers, rights and representation taken away. It forms part of the battle to听keep the local in听council听and stop听attempts to 听for local improvements and听听over development decisions.
[Andrew Chuter is a member of the Residents for Deamalgamation group.]