Perth Voice Interactive

JOHN CAREY was re-elected Vincent mayor last Saturday by the skin of his teeth, with just 81.18 per cent of the vote. Yep, really scraped over the line.

Every candidate he endorsed was also elected. Despite this, the mayor says there’s not going to be any voting bloc.

“I’ve been voted down seven to one as mayor,” he says, already having endorsed candidates Laine McDonald and Emma Cole.

“Any resident who comes to our meeting sees there’s a lot of different views and we vote in all different ways.

“Unlike previous times at Vincent, there isn’t pre-caucusing on issues, we don’t operate like that, I don’t badger councillors to take a certain position. I’m incredibly proud that our council is not factionalised.”

Harley returned

Deputy mayor Ros Harley was returned to north ward with just over 32 per cent of the vote, with Dan Loden picking up the ward’s second spot with 30 per cent. Mark Rossi’s third tilt earned him 18 per cent but no seat, with Shannon Davis (10.5) and Lauren Tracey (8) rounding out the field.

In a busy south ward race Leederville carnivale organiser Jimmy Murphy bagged a seat with 25.88 per cent of the vote, followed by Highgate local Susan Gontaszewski with 20.88 per cent. Former councillor Dudley Maier’s re-election hopes were dashed on 17.07 per cent. Malcolm Boyd (10.94), incumbent John Pintabona (10.46), Anthony Fisk (7.87) and Amanda Madden (6.9) brought up the rear.

As well as running for south ward, Mr Boyd also took on Mr Carey for mayor. Despite his visible campaign, with utes rolling through town and billboards promising he’d be “a friend on the council”, he hoovered up just 13.76 of the vote. After the election he declared, “you cannot fool all of the people all of the time. When the public realise who they elected and how they were manipulated things will change”. The second challenger, Leederville cafe owner and perennial Carey-critic Debbie Saunders, ran a low-key campaign and pulled in just 5.06 per cent.

While there was a mutter on election night of the new council being “wall to wall Labor” the only Labor-ish candidate Mr Carey endorsed was Cr Harley—an ex party member.

Mr Boyd’s campaign pushed a message there were many people unhappy with the council, and Mr Carey says the vote blows that out of the water.

“It was a rejection of this really negative agenda that’s being put forward by both my opponents. The things people say to me is we can see the changes, the greening plan, the town centre renewal, the Braithwaite Park playground, people say we love it and want more of it.”

Election turnout was 26.5 per cent, and it has been getting progressively weaker.

Incredibly, Mr Carey’s 81.18 per cent wasn’t the highest vote of the weekend: former MP John Bowler was elected mayor of Kalgoorlie with 87.67 per cent.

by DAVID BELL