Socialist Alliance (SA) councillor Sue Bolton has been re-elected to Merri-bek Council for a fourth term in the new single-member ward Bababi Djinanang, which covers the suburbs of Fawkner and Coburg North.
At the conclusion of counting of Group A votes (the majority of votes received by October 25 in the postal election), Bolton had received 46.32% of the primary vote, compared to Labor party candidate Hassaan Gul’s 26.21%. She received a strong flow of preferences from Greens candidate Lance Sinclair, who received up to 10.2% of the vote.
SA’s Jordan Armaou-Massoud received 8.79% in Harmony Park, Felix Dance received 10.25% in Randazzo and Jacob Andrewartha received 5.29% in Pentridge in the Group A vote count.
The smaller number of Group B votes (which are received up until November 1) will adjust these figures a little. The Victorian Electoral Commission will declare the results on November 12.
The Labor government has shifted all metropolitan councils and most regional and rural councils to a single-member ward system. Previously, most councils had multi-member wards based on proportional representation. The single member wards tend to advantage the major parties and make it more difficult for small parties and independents to get elected.
In her thank-you message to supporters, Bolton acknowledged that many were not able to vote for SA due to the electoral changes. However, she said she will “stand up for everyone, regardless of whether they live in the Bababi Djinanang ward or another ward”.
Bolton told Green Left that the strong vote comes from her work with communities over many years.
“Communities could see through the Labor campaign against me,” she said. “I’ve taken a strong stand for Palestine on council and the local Muslim community, among others, can see how important that is.
“They mobilised to support my bid for re-election because I have a track record of listening to people’s concerns and helping them take action.
“The community backed the campaign to save the Fawkner Outdoor Swimming Pool, to save part of Hosken Reserve in Coburg North for open space, and then there were the campaigns to duplicate the Upfield train line and for accessible tram stops on Sydney Road.
“Opposing the genocidal war in Gaza has been one of my main concerns this past year as many residents have lost family members in that war and they, like me, believe council need to take a strong stand.”
Bolton said that as soon as the new council is sworn in, she will be back to organising community meetings.
Some of her priority issues include more council support for people experiencing precarious housing, in particular emergency relief facilities.
She also wants to work on creating more shade in playgrounds and tackle accident hotspots, especially for pedestrians and cyclists. She said the campaigns around the Upfield train line and accessible tram stops on Sydney Road would continue, alongside a push for more bus shelters.
“The development of the Ballerrt Mooroop Cultural Centre also remains a priority for me, so there is a lot of work to be done.”
[Get involved with Sue Bolton — Socialist Alliance councillor for Merri-bek. Sue can be contacted on 0413 377 978.]