Perth Voice Interactive

FORMER state MP Alison Xamon has jumped into the race to be the new Vincent mayor.

Ms Xamon was a Greens upper house MP for two separate terms from 2009 to 2013 and then 2017 to 2021, but says she’s running for mayor as an independent.

Ms Xamon, a lawyer who’s worked in refugee and mental health advocacy, is a long-time Vincent resident and says since leaving Parliament she’d had been encouraged to run for mayor. But she wasn’t interested at the time as she supported current mayor Emma Cole, who has since announced she’d retire at October’s election.

Ms Xamon is the third candidate to announce a run for mayor, after sitting councillors Ron Alexander and Suzanne Worner announced in early August. Both Cr Alexander and Cr Worner have been on council for two years each, and so far none of the other longer-term councillors look likely to nominate.

“I’ve got the skills to be able to do it,” Ms Xamon says.

“[I] have experience of working within systems of governance, and particularly working across the tiers of government.

“And also, frankly, I’m hardworking and I’m competent, and I love this area.”

The Vincent mayoral role has often been a seat warmed by politicians on their way to and from parliament – Jack Marx, John Hyde, Alannah MacTiernan, John Carey. 

But Ms Xamon says she has no intention of going back to parliament, but did enjoy “representing people” and is keen to get back to that as Vincent mayor.

Ms Xamon was broadly supportive of Vincent council’s current progressive direction, but nominated a few areas as in need of change. She called out the dire state of many footpaths and other pedestrian infrastructure, an issue we’ve heard brought up repeatedly by readers.

Her son is blind and she says every crack in the footpath, every uneven paver sticking out, and every enduring Telstra pothole stands in the way of simply getting around town.

“I want us to be the best-practice council around issues of accessibility,” Ms Xamon said, which would help more than just those with disabilities.

“The things that make it safer for older people to walk around the streets are the same things that make it safer for people who are in wheelchairs, which is the same thing that makes it easier for people to meet with friends, and the same thing that helps people like my son, who’s blind.”

So far every mayor in the history of Vincent from Jack Marx to Emma Cole has been a Labor party member. Ms Xamon doesn’t see party membership as holding much relevance as she says there’s no direction from party HQ to local councillors.

“I’m not running as a Green, I’m not representing the party,” Ms Xamon said.

“People know what my values are, and they know what my politics are, but I think it’s really critical that mayors are politically independent.”

by DAVID BELL