Election profile: Irene Doutney
BY PATRICK BILLINGS
When Irene Doutney attended her first council meeting the cold corridors of public office instilled a crisis of confidence.
“I thought: what am I doing here’ It was so autocratic,” the number two on the Greens ticket says.
“But you have to keep fighting for what you believe in.”
Ms Doutney’s run for office isn’t rooted in strong ideas for policy reform, but rather, on reforming how council does business with its constituents.
“As opposed to being dictated to, as is the case under the current council, I would like to see the community having more input before decisions are made.”
She sees cohesive community forums as a crucial means by which “neglected” parts of the community can actively engage in policy-making.
“Council isn’t supposed to be about one person on a power trip imposing their ideas. These supposed independents, who just work as a block, are about as independent as a flock of fish,” Ms Doutney said.
Ms Doutney concedes the Greens face an uphill battle to reclaim their base, many of whom have deserted to Clover Moore’s Independent Team.
“Clover steals everything from us but that is part of being in the Greens, we are the progressive edge.”
And the candidate’s strong push for the construction of several skate parks around Sydney could be seen as evidence of such progression. The Redfern public housing tenant has observed, firsthand, the consequences of wayward youth and sees such a project as a necessary positive outlet.
“They are as much a part of our community as seniors or workers yet they are so marginalised,” she says.
