While socialist and Green candidates received higher votes in the Victorian local government elections, Labor’s bid to reduce small party representation with single-member wards worked.
The end of proportional representation meant that fewer socialists and Greens were elected compared to 2020.
Victorian Socialists (VS), which ran more than 80 candidates across the state, received a positive 10.8% of the overall vote. VS came second in two-candidate preferred counts in three councils — Darebin, Merri-bek and Maribyrnong.
VS and Socialist Alliance (SA) ran candidates in all wards of the Merri-Bek council. Their combined vote was 18.4%, a rise from 10.32% in 2020.
However, only three socialists were elected: SA Councillor Sue Bolton was re-elected for a fourth term in Merri-bek Council with a huge primary vote of 46%.
VS’s Owen Cosgriff, one of 35 candidates supported by the Bendigo Trades Hall, was elected to the Greater Bendigo City Council, winning Whipstick Ward with 40.67% of the vote.
Stephen Jolly, an independent socialist, was re-elected for a fifth term to Yarra City Council with 53.8% of the primary vote. Jolly ran with Yarra for All independents, which campaigned to bring council “back to the community”.
Yarra for All included candidates with a range of political views, including support for social housing on council-owned land and real action on climate change. Three Yarra for All candidates were elected and Jolly has since been elected Mayor.
SA councillor Sarah Hathway and VS’s Jorge Jorquera received a strong result, but not enough to be re-elected in Corio ward in the City of Greater Council and Burndap ward in Maribyrnong City Council, respectively.
In the City of Manningham, an area typically dominated by the Liberal Party, SA member Mary Merkenich ran as an independent in Bolin ward, endorsed by the Menzies 4 Palestine campaign. She received 18.52% of the vote. VS candidate Dimitrios Tafidis received 18.59% in the same ward.
The Victorian Greens reported a bigger state-wide vote of 5.79%, but only 28 councillors were elected compared to 36 four years ago. The Greens blamed the single-member ward system.
They did gain council spots, however, for the first time in regional areas such as Bass Coast and Campaspe. Isabella Do was also elected to the Greater Dandenong City Council with 47.52% of the primary vote.
Right-wing 'independents'
A number of right-wing candidates ran as independents emphasising “back to basics” and standing up against “woke” issues.
The Libertarian Party ran 16 candidates across the state and four were elected, one in Wodonga and Cardinia Shire and two on the Surf Coast. It also has one member in the Victorian Legislative Council (South Eastern Metropolitan).
It wants to end the “nanny state” and campaigns to cut “waste”, which it defines as public servants, and wants to cancel the suburban rail loop.
A group of right-wing independents, led by right-wing Councillor Oscar Yildez in Merri-Bek Council, ran on a platform of “roads, rates, rubbish” and keeping politics out of council.
Bolton told Green Left that Yildez’ team was “fundamentally opposed” to taking a stand on the genocide in Gaza.
Five people who are either Liberal Party members or with links to the party were elected to the City of Greater Geelong.
Echoing United States President-elect Donald Trump, the new City of Greater Geelong Mayor Stretch Kontelj announced at the first council meeting he wanted to make the “Geelong CBD great again”.
Former Geelong City Councillor Sarah Hathway told GL that the “back to basics” politics is “a ruse to cut and outsource low-cost council provided services” and that residents are getting ready to defend them.
A survey of the election results indicates that the majority of conservative candidates elected were “independents” with links to the Liberal Party or the Libertarian Party.
Palestine makes it mark
More than 314 candidates (7% of all candidates running) signed on to the “We Vote for Palestine” campaign.
Several independent candidates from the Muslim community ran on a pro-Palestine platform for spots on the Hume City Council.
Independent Isabella Eltha, who was endorsed by local group Menzies for Palestine, was elected, unseating former right-wing independent Mayor Michelle Kleinert.
All the socialist candidates and some Greens candidates referenced their opposition to Israel’s genocide in Gaza in their candidate statements.
An Age survey of candidates, in early October, found 48% stated that “councils should stick to the three Rs (roads, rates and rubbish)” over making statements on Palestine compared to 30% who said council should take a stand on Gaza.
Bolton told GL that Socialist Alliance’s support for Palestine “had a major impact” on her result. “Gaza was a major source of dissatisfaction with the Labor Party”, she found when door knocking.