Tag Archives
Abortion no longer a crime in NSW
By WENDY BACON Update: On September 26, the NSW Legislative Assembly passed the Abortion bill to take abortion out of the NSW Crimes Act. The bill was passed with all its amendments and on the voices without a division. The story provides an insight into how the bill progressed through parliament. The Human Rights Law […]
Tree felling falling-out
By ALEC SMART The Greens and several independent councillors on the Inner West Council (IWC) are fuming after a revised plan for tree protection was amended at the last minute and voted into policy. The aggrieved councillors claim they were ‘ambushed’ when it was revealed the amendments, which permit residents to fell trees within three […]
Independents’ success offers silver lining
BY MERRILL WITT The newly elected Prime Minister Scott Morrison credited the “quiet Australians” for the Coalition's surprising election win. But the campaign to dislodge Independent Kerryn Phelps from the formerly safe Liberal seat of Wentworth was anything but quiet. In the final few days leading up to last Saturday’s election, Wentworth voters were bombarded […]
Legislative Council power balance
By ALLISON HORE Last month’s state election handed another term to the Coalition but the results for the upper house of NSW, the Legislative Council, are still rolling in and the crossbench is growing. The NSW Legislative Council is elected by a proportional representation system which treats the whole state as one single electorate. This […]
Inner West Council demerger urged
BY ALEC SMART The newly elected Inner West Council is considering overturning the forced amalgamation that brought three councils together in May 2016, and return them to their constituent parts. At the Inner West Council meeting on 24 October, councillors debated whether to hold a plebiscite on de-amalgamating Inner West Council. The issue was ultimately […]
Bondi Pavilion perseveres
BY ANITA SENARATNA It was a scene that might never have been possible again had former Bondi Mayor Sally Betts got her way. Last Friday night, the Bondi community threw a party to celebrate Bondi Pavilion staying in public hands, after a two-year long campaign against the $38 million upgrade proposed by Cr Betts during […]
Inner West goes red and green
BY JOSEPH FENAUGHTY Labor and the Greens were the biggest winners in this weekend’s Inner West Council elections with the Liberal party trailing a distant third. The weekend’s election ended over a year’s uncertainty since the forced amalgamations in 2016. This was the Inner west council’s first chance since to have democratically-elected councillors to preside […]
Liberals trounced in eastern elections
BY ANITA SENARATNA The eastern suburbs have been safe Liberal territory for years, but as the weekend’s council elections have shown, not even the most loyal voters can be taken for granted. The Liberals experienced a backlash from voters across the state, with noticeable swings towards Labor, Greens and independent candidates. The votes are still […]
All Betts are off for Waverley election
BY ANITA SENARATNA Liberal councillors, including current mayor Sally Betts, currently dominate the beachside council of Waverley. But the failed merger with neighbouring councils of Randwick and Woollahra and the controversial Bondi Pavilion upgrade could see the tides change for the Liberal Party at the upcoming local government election on September 9. The State Liberal […]
Randwick elections will be a close call
BY ANITA SENARATNA In the forthcoming 2017 Local Council Elections, the political outcome of the City of Randwick is unpredictable. Although Randwick Council used to be a Labor stronghold, the Liberals and the Greens have had success there in recent years. But the failed merger with Waverley and Woollahra Councils could see a couple more […]
