Clover Moore triumphant in ‘ugly’ election battle

BY ALEX MCDONALD AND PATRICK BILLINGS
Clover Moore and her Independent Team are poised to retain their council majority after securing close to 50 per cent of first preference votes in the City of Sydney election.
Lord Mayor Moore’s position was never in doubt in the mayoral ballot, where she scored more votes than all the other candidates combined.
‘We are going to keep doing what we have been doing, maintaining that momentum,’ the Lord Mayor said. ‘We have a blueprint, we have a vision and we have engaged everybody from locals to the business community.’
Pundits expect the Lord Mayor’s running mates Di Tornai and Robert Kok to join her on council alongside John McInerney, Marcelle Hoff and Phillip Black.
Lord Mayor Moore plans to use her landslide win as a platform to make the Sustainable Sydney 2030 plan a reality.
But Greens councillor Chris Harris said the Lord Mayor’s environmental push has been a political ploy to pinch votes from the Greens.
‘She takes almost half our vote and she does that by targeting environmental policies,’ Cr Harris said. ‘You look at any other seat in the state and the greens Upper and Lower House votes are about the same. But in Sydney she takes almost half our votes.’
Chris Harris is hopeful his running mate Irene Doutney will join him on council, leaving one seat each to Labor and the Liberals.
‘We got about 14 and a half per cent of the vote last time,’ he said. ‘This is about a 30 per cent improvement. We think it’s a good endorsement.
‘At this stage it looks like we’ll get a second [council seat]. We have had stunning results right across the state.’
Clover Moore, meanwhile, has lashed the Greens for campaigning so negatively against her, particularly on the issue of developer donations.
‘I am disappointed with their ugliness,’ Lord Mayor Moore said. ‘They’ve exchanged preferences with the ALP even though they condemn the ALP for their donations policy. For trying to put [Labor] in power when they say they oppose with what they do. I just find it grossly hypocritical.’
While Chris Harris describes the Sustainable Sydney 2030 plan as a ‘ whole lot of political spin’, he said the Greens do support the Lord Mayor’s environmental management plan and strategy to improve cycling routes.
‘Our role is to push the envelope and if she gets the credit I don’t care,’ Cr Harris said. ‘We just want leading-edge environmental initiatives.’
New councillor Di Tornai took a swipe at the ALP, which performed badly in the polls following the State Government meltdown last week.
‘We could not have asked for better marketing that what the ALP supplied us with this week,’ Ms Tornai joked.
Labor hopeful Linda Scott said the electorate has clearly turned against Labor.
‘This is the first opportunity voters have had to demonstrate their disillusionment with the NSW ALP,’ she said.