Perth Voice Interactive

“DON’T write off John Carey for the state seat of Perth just yet,” is the message we’re hearing from Labor insiders.

Last week we learned the Vincent mayor had not lodged an expression of interest to nominate as Labor’s candidate for the seat, held by Liberal Eleni Evangel on a slim 2.64 per cent margin.

However, no-one else has nominated either, giving the party more time to woo the popular mayor.

Mr Carey was re-elected mayor in October with more than 80 per cent of the local vote and has built a strong public profile campaigning against forced council mergers and for transparency in government.

With Mark McGowan’s Labor opposition riding high in the polls, he is regarded by party insiders as a good bet to wrest the seat from the Liberals, despite Ms Evangel’s local popularity.

Mr Carey concedes he’s thinking about running but is reluctant to give up the mayoral chains.

“I didn’t put in an expression of interest,” he says.

“It is very difficult because I absolutely love Vincent.

“I’m passionate about all the changes over the past two years and the reform agenda we’ve been running, and there’s still plenty of changes to make.

“But I didn’t want to be rushed, I didn’t want to commit, I wanted more time to think about it.”

He confirms Labor figures have approached him to run and says ratepayers have also urged him to stand. He says as a state MP he can do things for the community he’s unable to achieve as mayor.

“The only frustration I have as mayor is there are some issues that are affecting Vincent that are well beyond our scope,” he says.

“The number one issue I’ve faced over the past two years has all related to cars and traffic: I’m literally out every week talking to residents about this.”

The next state election is scheduled for March 2017. If Mr runs and wins, a mayoral by-election would be needed.

by DAVID BELL

THERE’S no money in the arts, goes the old saying.

For WA artists, it’s increasingly becoming a reality, Fringe artist playwright Tiffany Barton sighs. A friend, armed with a PhD from WAAPA and “very busy working on shows”, made $15,000 last year — about $288 a week, which isn’t enough for rent, let alone food.

Ms Barton has started a Facebook advocacy movement, with the aim of urging governments to back local artists. She also wants the Fringe World festival to cut its $300 registration fee and stop charging artists 32 per cent of takings.

But Fringe isn’t budging, despite the registration fee worth less than one per cent of its revenue (12 per cent comes from corporate sponsorship).

“It is an important part of the Fringe model that artists register and pay a small fee to participate,” says festival spokeswoman Sian Collins.

“Fringe World has the cheapest registration fees of equivalent Fringe festivals around the world. As a not-for-profit, each and every dollar that comes into the festival gets invested back into the local WA cultural ecology and scene.”

Last year the Fringe box office raked in $6.2 million: $4m went to the performers and $2.2m to the Fringe organisation. The event is said to have tipped $71 million into the local economy.

WA arts minister John Day says the government is contributing enough, pouring $6.6m into Fringe since it began in 2011.

“The 2016 program alone has received more than $1.2 million through Lotterywest, the department of culture and the arts and metropolitan redevelopment authority,” Mr Day says.

He encouraged performers to apply for grants.

by EMMIE DOWLING

POLICE will increase numbers at Fringe festival venues on weekends following a spate of complaints by performers of abuse and anti-social behaviour from yobs.

Police assure event organisers more officers will patrol the city Fridays and Saturdays to ensure festival-goers are safe.

No formal complaints were made to WA Police but they flowed online.

Adam Scott, who dresses as a drag queen to host a burlesque show, took to Facebook, posting that a “burly guy” last weekend told him, “cunts like you should have their heads cut off”.

“He then flexes his fist, with three rough steel rings on his fingers, and says ‘come over here’.

Playwright Tiffany Barton says there have been more complaints, some involving the pinching of dancers’ bottoms.

“Yes, sure this kind of thing can happen anywhere at any time of the year, but there’s a notable difference from last year’s fringe,” the Hilton resident says.

“Anti-social behaviour wasn’t a big deal last year: it was vibrant and had a real community feel. Every venue has a bar and it’s turned into the massive-scale thing. It’s great for the economy, but what is it doing socially?”

She pins some problems on how big and commercial the fringe has become, and accuses organisers of neglecting grassroots contributors.

Festival spokeswoman Sian Collins says security is covering more venues and there’s been a 40 per cent increase in shows.

Last year there were 500 shows across 100 venues: this year it’s 700 across 150.

by EMMIE DOWLING

BAYSWATER councillors have narrowly rejected a push to ban ratepayer-funded overseas travel.

Cr Brent Fleeton, elected last year, lost by one vote his bid to slash travel budgets and ban overseas travel.

Experienced councillors told colleagues that trips to conferences and seminars are a useful means to an end.

Mayor Barry McKenna — a 25-year council veteran — went red in the face with emotion speaking against Cr Fleeton’s proposal.

He said picking up new ideas forged interstate and overseas can save money down the track.

“This is a silly plan that’s going to make us a laughing stock,” the mayor said, banging his hand on the table.

“We’re going to look childish and second-rate. This is just a political stunt to say ‘hey, we’re good with money’.

“I would demand that you all go on conferences and bring back best practices back to your city.”

Residents in the audience applauded as he ended his speech with a nod to Cr Alan Radford, another longtime local government man.

Cr Radford spoke of conferences he’d attended: he claimed to have saved the city money by purchasing equipment discovered on a Melbourne trip with the parks and gardens manager.

Bayswater’s travel budget is $90,000, but historically not all is used (the Voice understands just $30,000 was spent last year).

The only overseas trips taken are to New Zealand (Cr Radford notes flights there can cost less than to Cairns).

Cr Fleeton reasoned it’s up to council staff and management, not councillors, to expand on their expertise. He’d wanted to slash councillors’ conference budgets from $7500 to $1500 a year, and force the mayor and staff to ask the council for permission to travel outside WA on council business.

by EMMIE DOWLING