Young Heart Run Free

Young Heart Run Free

Australia is evenly split down the middle. Following months of political purgatory, Julia Gillard now rules over a hung parliament and her Prime Ministership dangles precariously on every last Lower House vote. Nowhere is the national divide more obvious than in inner Sydney. The same month that a few country independents all but pulled Julia Gillard’s name out of an Akubra hat, local Councils across the inner city have followed the national trend. On the left side of the city fringe, Green Councillor Fiona Byrne became Mayor of Marrickville on Tuesday night, after her name was pulled out of a barrel. The Green’s ascendency in the inner west couldn’t come at a worse time for Labor. In early July the Greens preselected Byrne to stand against Deputy Prime Minister Carmel Tebbutt in the upcoming State elections. As Mayor, Byrne will gain a greater profile in the lead up to the March election. Last time around — in 2007, Byrne came within 7.5 points of toppling Tebbutt, thus making Marrickville a marginal Labor seat. In recent years a number of young urban dwellers have flocked to Marrickville, transforming the area from a traditional Labor blue colour electorate to a Green stronghold. If the recent Federal election is anything to go by, Byrne is within striking distance of State Parliament. In August Tebbutt’s husband Federal Minister Anthony Albanese barely held onto the same electorate following a recount.  In 2007, Albanese held the Federal seat of Grayndler with a 21% lead; this time around his two party preference lead had dwindled to 5%. If Labor suffers the same 16 point swing against it in the upcoming State election, Carmel Tebbutt would be obliterated by Fiona Byrne.

These day women appear to have greater luck than men when it comes to having their names plucked from the proverbial hat. Over on the right side of the evenly divided inner city, Liberal Mayor Sally Betts was named Mayor of  Waverley Council for a third time in a row, when she again won the office sweep. This time around Betts defeated Greens Councillor Dominick Wycanack for the post. Even in Clover Moore’s centre left fiefdom in the City of Sydney, the Deputy Lord Mayor’s name was drawn out of a hat. Following a family feud amongst the Clover Moore Independent team, one third of the independents broke away from Clover Moore in opposition to her position on the Barangaroo Delivery Authority, which has all but approved a massive tower, jutting into the harbour. Critics argue the buildings will block sunlight and airflows, while creating an appalling long term precedent for the foreshore and skyline. Not long after Hoff’s name was drawn from the hat, Moore resigned from the Authority.

And yet, with the exception of the Barangaroo brawl, Clover has leveraged her dual role as Lord Mayor and Local Member successfully — in order to achieve some stunning political victories.  Moore is at the peak of her political game. In the Parliament,  Clover’s bill legalising gay adoption was passed into law. And as Lord Mayor, she has made progress in her long term campaigns for lower speed limits, dedicated bicycle routes and certainty for the Kings Cross safe injecting room. Aware that Clover could possibly play a role in forming the next State Parliament, Premier Kristina Kenneally, whose seat takes in the southern parts of the City of Sydney, has helped implement many of Clover’s long cherished policies.

Working with a sympathetic Premier, Sydney’s resident activist Mayor has also used her considerable political clout to curtail late night trading at many City drinking establishments. While popular with her support base of cranky baby boomers, her call for late night lock outs, followed by the reduction of trading hours for a number of inner city pubs and clubs could upset the City’s silent majority. Judging by the number of anti Clover posts on social network sites following recent threats to the Oxford Art Factory and the closure of the Hopetoun Hotel, young residents are starting to object. From dormitory blocks in sleek, modern Pyrmont to rickety rooms in the back lanes of Surry Hills, young people have long migrated to Sydney’s inner city in search of a non-stop urban lifestyle. Statistically speaking, most voters around the city fringe are likely to be either a dinky di DINK (60%); or a single urban dweller with cash to spend (35%).  According to the City of Sydney’s own data: almost half of all city residents are between the ages of 18 and 34, three quarters rent and almost one third have attended uni. While most citysiders are under forty, with the exception of the libertarian and libertine gay Liberal Shayne Mallard, almost the entire City of Sydney Council is over the age of fifty. Having forgotten that when they were young, they stayed up late and partied, all parties on the City Council have been unified in a campaign to shut down Sydney’s nightlife – seeking to send everyone home to bed early. While the Greens have opted for generational change in the inner west seats of Marrickville and Balmain, over in the City of Sydney the party has run candidates that are nearing retirement age, allowing Clover Moore and her independents to sleep safe and sound at night.

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