Political infighter faces his biggest battle

Coogee MP Paul Pearce began his political life as one of Ernie Page’s “accidental aldermen”.  Page preferred state parliament candidates coming up through local politics and encouraged young branch members to go on Labor’s ticket for Waverley Council. In their twenties, while they cared about politics, involvement on a council was not on the young members’ agenda but they were assured they had no chance of being elected. In Paul Pearce’s case, voters disagreed and he was elected.

His work in the family business had honed his fiscal skills and it wasn’t long before he was delegated the task of overseeing the budget and expenditure of council funds.  Later he succeeded Barbara Armitage as mayor and his team continued its policy of keeping the lid on high rise development.  The “accidental alderman” devoted 21 years to Waverley Council.

Now, after eight years as Coogee MP, Pearce regards stopping the high-rise proposal for the Coogee Bay Hotel site as his biggest victory. This may indicate the ferocity of the behind- the-scenes battle he waged to block the proposal. In Sydney, hotel interests are powerful, their position enhanced by “donations” to both major parties.

Others consider major works at the Prince of Wales Hospital as especially significant, or the installation of the missing underground rail cross-over at Bondi Junction Station that significantly improved train punctuality – or the 350 extra bus journeys Pearce successfully lobbied for. He also managed to stump up funds for capital works for surf clubs, scouts, and even church groups such as St Nicholas at Coogee. Recently he managed to secure Randwick Public School a trial site for ethics classes following keen support for the idea by the local parents.

At state level, Pearce attracted attention for his opposition to his party’s reversal of its long-held policy on the privatisation of electricity. In the lower house, he was seen as leading the move to block the sale. Also, his efforts to keep Sydney Ferries in government hands and his opposition to more privatisation of prisons have met with success.

Pearce has many concerns he wants addressed by the next state government, whichever party takes control after the election. He seeks a total review of planning legislation to bring power back to local elected representatives. He is deeply concerned at current practices that do not allow local communities a say in what happens in their areas.

State governments throughout Australia , Pearce says, face major problems in living up to their constitutional responsibilities to provide basic services such as education, health and transport when they have lost most of their revenue-raising powers. Under federal pressure going back more than a decade, such policies as the GST have whittled away their revenue base.

With a change of government now predicted, Pearce is concerned at the prospect of Kennett-style slashing of large numbers of government workers despite the need for their services. Pearce quotes estimates others have given of 50,000 job losses. He predicts moves against some unions, notably nurses and teachers, irrational, he feels, given shortages looming in both these professions.

In his eight years in Parliament, Pearce has demonstrated himself to be a solid fighter, even within his party while in government. As an opposition member, if he retains his seat, he will have even more to fight for.