The Yes Minister
Image: Adam Ashley-Cooper (centre) with members of Sydney Convicts at the launch of Out in the Field (Photo: Benedict Brook; Star Observer)
BY BENNEDICT BRUNKER
Eastern suburbs Liberals are in revolt over Vaucluse Liberal MP Gabrielle Upton’s sudden show of support for the NSW Government’s plans for council amalgamations.
Ms Upton’s seat of Vaucluse includes Woollahra and Waverley Councils, which are set to be merged with Randwick council under the Government’s long-standing mergers plan.
Ms Upton has spoken out previously against the amalgamations, most notably at a rally in Double Bay in October 2015.
“I believe that local governments are local,” she said to the crowd protesting the government’s move.
“I believe that small can be effective. My position is that Woollahra Council should not be merged with other councils.”
Ms Upton also urged protestors to sign a petition expressing opposition to the merger.
It was a view she was known to express at Liberal Party branch meetings, according to former Mayor of Woollahra John Comino, speaking to a local newspaper.
Following the NSW Government’s cabinet reshuffle last month – a consequence of former Premier Mike Baird’s resignation and replacement by Gladys Berejiklian – Ms Upton emerged as the new Minister for Local Government, having previously served as the NSW Attorney-General.
Hopes were high amongst opponents of the amalgamations in Vaucluse and elsewhere that the appointment of a political figure who had spoken out publicly against the plan might signal a shift in the Government’s policy.
However, though the government decided to ditch pending amalgamations in rural areas of NSW, the merger of urban councils looks set to proceed, pending legal challenges in the High Court.
Ms Upton defended the decision in a public statement, saying, “Make no mistake, I fully support the Government policy.”
Asked whether her apparent inconsistency on the issue might harm her in the eyes of her electorate, Ms Upton said, “There may well be a personal political cost as a result of the decision by the state cabinet to go ahead with the mergers of councils in the Sydney area”.
Ms Upton has been largely popular amongst her Vaucluse electorate and local Liberal Party members since first winning the seat in 2011.
However, polling shows that 80 percent of residents in Woollahra oppose the proposed merger – a sizeable chunk of Ms Upton’s electorate.
Ms Upton narrowly defeated well known restauranteur Peter Doyle to win Liberal Party pre-selection for the seat of Vaucluse in 2010.
The unpopularity of her view amongst Vaucluse Liberals means she may face a pre-selection challenge before the next State election.
Working in her favour however, is her significant influence within the NSW Liberal Party, as evidenced by a string of prominent cabinet positions.
The attempted merger has been stalled by Woollahra Council’s pursuance of legal action against the state Government.
Woollahra Council has so far been rebuffed in its attempts to challenge the forced mergers, but is appealing the decision of the Supreme Court in the High Court, a case which is set to be heard this year.
The amalgamations are expected to proceed should the appeal fail, so long as the state Government upholds its merger policy.
