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 Candidates running for Lord Mayor in the City of Sydney have issued final statements to the city’s queer communities ahead of this weekend’s local government elections.
Speaking to SX ahead of Saturday’s poll, Labor’s Meredith Burgmann, the Greens’ Chris Harris, the Liberal’s Shayne Mallard, independent Ormond McDermott, and the independent Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore, summarised their policies and positions in a final attempt to woo queer voters.
“I still believe that Sydney deserves a full-time Lord Mayor,” Burgmann told SX, reiterating her view that Moore had her ‘hands full’ as state member for Sydney.
“And I promise that if I am elected, there will be no cult of personality. My image will not be plastered all over taxpayer-funded council brochures,” she said.
Burgmann, who highlighted her status as a ’78er – a marcher in the first ever Mardi Gras – averred that she would continue to strongly support the queer community, “as I have done throughout my career and all my life”.
Environmental issues were at the forefront of Chris Harris’s message.
“There are four main priorities that I’d like to highlight,” he told SX.
“Firstly, we will fight very hard to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing our power use; secondly, we will reduce refuse and waste in the City of Sydney; thirdly, we will combat alcohol-related violence on Oxford Street and elsewhere by ensuring venue compliance with liquor laws; and finally, The Greens will seriously address car usage by fast-tracking plans for bicycle lanes throughout the city.”
In a statement issued to SX, Liberal Party candidate Shayne Mallard said voters had a clear choice between “Moore big spending” or his own promised financial responsibility.
“The people of Sydney can vote for the big spending, big taxing, big government candidates in Clover Moore, Labor or the Greens,” he said.
“Or they can vote for the fiscally responsible mainstream Lord Mayor in Shayne Mallard and Liberal Party.”
Referring to his ‘City Guardians’ plan, Mallard added that queer voters should “consider who has offered real action on the growing violence around the gay scene”.
“We can continue sentimentally with Clover’s 20 years of passing the buck, worthy reports and strategies, including her insulting homophobia-free zone gimmick – or we can get tough on those who seek to harm us because of who we are.”
Independent Ormond McDermott, meanwhile, told SX he would do everything in his power to curb alcohol-related violence, and would lobby the State Government for changes to liquor trading hours, if elected.
“I see drunks at all hours parading up and down the streets, fighting, swearing and being abusive,” he told SX. “They’ll attack anyone – they even fight amongst themselves.”
Reduced liquor trading hours were the key, he said, to reducing assaults everywhere, including Oxford Street.
Incumbent Lord Mayor Clover Moore pointed to her strong record on queer rights, telling SX: “I came out and supported the [GLBT] community a long time before any other politician, when they were all too afraid to.”
The Lord Mayor said her achievements included the successful introduction of her Small Bars Bill, successfully lobbying the State Government to provide new leadership at the Surry Hills Local Area Police Command, the establishment of a Project Coordinator’s position for the GLBT community, a restructured Relationships Declaration program, and the establishment of regular GLBT community forums.
“These things take time to effect change, but I’m confident that changes I’ve brought about during my term as Lord Mayor are starting to reap benefits, and will continue to do so.”
The 2008 local government elections will be held across NSW on Saturday, September 13.
Pictured: Labor's Meredith Burgmann on the campaign trail last week.
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Final pitch to woo pink vote
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