Labor alarmed by Liberal dominance

The Labor Party have voiced their consternation over the swing towards the Liberals in last Saturday’s Waverley Council elections.

Current Mayor John Wakefield said the outcome leaves Labor as the “minority.”

“It’s a completely disappointing result,” he said. “As the minority we can affect very little.”

There was a bittersweet win in the Waverley Ward for Cr Ingrid Strewe, but her husband Paul Pearce was not elected in Hunter Ward. Ms Strewe predicts Sally Betts will resume her position as Mayor.

“I congratulated Sally,” she said. “I would rather work with a more progressive team of course. There were three years when Sally was Mayor and nothing happened except a rate rise so I hope they will be a bit more imaginative now.”

Having the Liberal Party at the helm presents a problem for the re-elected Labor Councillors in promoting the ALP agenda.

“We will not be able to stop the Liberals in their attempts to do certain things like sell off assets,” Mr Wakefield said. “They have already talked about our child care and property assets being sold. They will backpedal on issues to do with the shift away from private vehicles and re-emphasise car transport again in our area.

“These are things we will resist in the best way we can as a minority position.”

Ms Strewe highlighted concerns with the implementation of alternative waste technology.

“In my campaign material, I said I would like to be much more closely involved in it,” she said. “I don’t want there to be a mistake, such as accepting a tender that is not going to work. It’s an expensive proposition and it can either save us a lot of money or cost us a lot of money.”

But there was a win for Labor in Lawson Ward, with former Head of SBS Radio, Paula Masselos anticipated to win a seat on Council.

“I am concerned about what will be happening to our public open spaces and about over-developments in the area,” Ms Masselos said.

The Labor Party had declared the Hunter Ward as the electoral battlefield and re-enlisted Mr Pearce as a wild card. Mr Pearce lost to the Independent Councilor Miriam Guttman-Jones and Mr Wakefield was critical of the outcome.

“Paul was Mayor of Waverley for seven years,” he said. “He put his hand up to maximize our chances of beating a so-called Independent, Miriam Guttman-Jones. I say ‘so-called’ because all her work is on polling booth and her scrutiny is for Liberal Party members.”

Mr Pearce said the ballot was not a loss on a personal level.

“I ran because I thought Labor voters in the Ward should have an opportunity to vote for a Labor candidate,” he said. “I am not at all concerned that I have not been elected; I have spent 21 years on Waverley Council and eight years in State Parliament.” The Mayoral election will take place on September 27.