Tag Archives
Why your preferences matter
BY MERRILL WITT Proportional representation in the NSW Legislative Council or Upper House ensures that seats are allocated to minor parties, and optional preferential voting all but guarantees its motley makeup. But is the election of candidates from minor parties a true reflection of the democratic will of the voters given that a few MPs […]
Historic walkout defers plebiscite demerger vote
BY JOAN HENSON A historic walkout of Inner West councillors has deferred a vote on whether a plebiscite should undo the council’s amalgamation. On Tuesday 26 March, Mayor Darcy Byrne used the first council agenda item to request a retraction and apology from two colleagues for alleged Facebook comments made last July. At the time of […]
Selling NSW – Berejiklian style
BY WENDY BACON Last week, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian told the Sydney Morning Herald that her government had taken the politics out of building things. Her comment was designed to gloss over the obvious fact that this election is all about the politics of destroying and building things, especially the Sydney Football Stadium. Before we […]
Wrecking balls hang in the balance
BY WENDY BACON UPDATE: On Friday, Justice Pain refused to continue the injunction. This means demolition is underway inside the stadium. However Local Democracy Matters have appealed and will be back in court on Monday. City Hub paid a visit this morning and you can hear internal parts of the stadium crashing to the ground. […]
Abortion in NSW – IT’S TIME.
By WENDY BACON I’m daring to hope that this will be the last NSW election when abortion remains on the Crimes Act in NSW. Abortion has always been available for those in the know, those with enough money and those who could find out where to go. When I was growing up in the 1950s […]
The race for Maroubra
BY ALLISON HORE With less than a month until the state election, the race for the seat of Maroubra is reaching its final leg. Labor has held the seat of Maroubra since the electorate’s inception in 1950, making it a very safe seat for the party. Labor’s margin was broadened from 1.6% to 2.3% after […]
OPINION: On common ground
BY PETER HEHIR And so it begins. Glad the Impaler has hit the airwaves, telling us all how successful she’s been at raiding the public pantry and flogging off the spoils. On the other side of the political divide, Jo Halen is busy telling her Summer Hill electorate just how much WestConnex is on the […]
No Pubs Please, We’re NIMBYS
BY JOHN MOYLE Last week the urban phenomenon known as NIMBYism struck across Sydney as four iconic and much loved pubs were hit with complaints about noise. The four pubs under the pump are the Royal Oak, The Moore Park View, The Marlborough and The Kings Cross Hotel, all well established hotels of a hundred […]
Elections 2019: The race for Balmain
BY ALLISON HORE While the race for Balmain heats up between Labor and the Greens, the Liberal Party’s candidate is missing in action. The electoral district of Balmain encompasses the Leichhardt Council area, which includes Balmain, Leichhardt, Lilyfield, Annandale and Rozelle, as well as Glebe and part of Ultimo in the City of Sydney. Running […]
Air pollution levels alarming
BY WENDY BACON Community groups and school parents are calling on the NSW government to investigate disturbingly high levels of dangerous air pollution around WestConnex works in Haberfield. The calls follow reports that two WestConnex Haberfield air quality monitors in Sydney’s Inner West recorded higher average levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in 2018 than […]
