26 March 2024
North Sydney Mayor Zoe Baker has used her casting vote to block a report looking at the merits of changing the electoral system that determine who is mayor.
Last night’s council split 5-5 on the merits of a motion asking for the feasibility and costs of a referendum on electing the mayor’s position directly along with a reduction in the number of councillors to eight. Baker used her casting vote to defeat the motion, which was proposed by Cr Jilly Gibson who adopted substantial amendments suggested by Cr James Spenceley.
North Sydney Council had directly elected its mayor for most of the past four decades until the last election, when it changed to a system where councillors vote on the mayor’s position. The Gibson motion proposed a referendum to restore the direct election of the mayor, while Spenceley then suggested amendments which would reduce the cost impact of the move. The final motion, as proposed, asked for a council report into the matter, as opposed to mandating a referendum itself.
Speaking against the original motion, Cr Godfrey Santer of Labor said: “With the presidential system in its associated concentration of power in one person, we run the risk of descent into one person autocracy, as we’re perhaps witnessing in the United States at the moment. A directly elected mayor also adds one more council position, thus increasing council’s financial outlay. Another cost would be the referendum itself, something in the order of $70,000.”
Cr Mary Ann Beregi had similar sentiments, stating: “Not one person has said to me, please bring back a directly elected mayor. What they have said to me is that it’s wonderful to have a council which is so open, where people can come and speak at the council meeting where we don’t have two against and two for, and we don’t have rules from the chair.”
Others supported the motion. Cr Spenceley stated: “I think this is a valid question to put to the constituents to find out what they really think. Because I certainly found that there was a reasonable amount of surprise and disappointment that they couldn’t vote directly for mayor (at the last election).”
There is a question mark over the validity of the 2017 referendum result where constituents, with no prior campaign on the merits, were asked “Do you favour election of the Mayor by Councillors for a term of two years?” The question was narrowly carried by three percent.
The current council has tended to support the mayor against dissenting motions from Cr Gibson with a majority bloc of six or seven votes, but that evaporated last night when SAP councillor William Bourke and Cr Spenceley supported the Gibson motion.
“I don’t sit 100% in either camp, but it is something that I have considered over a significant period of time because I thought this question would come up at some stage,” Cr Bourke said.
“Ryde held the question on this and got 77%. It was a clear question, 77% in favour of directly elected. I thought our question was confusing that we asked, a term or two ago. I thought it was somewhat confusing. And I’m in favour of the community having more of a say, more direct say in what we do. So I’m in favour of a referendum.”
In her right of reply, Cr Gibson said “Quite frankly, for those councillors that spoke against it, if you think this system is so good, if you are sure about it, why are you scared to put it out there to the public? If you’re really sure about something, it’s great to get that affirmation from the community.”
In response to the concerns over costs, the motion was amended to consider a reduction in the number of councillors, saving stipends to compensate for the cost of the referendum. Cr Mutton, who doesn’t support the direct election of a mayor but supports referendum, said the costs were worth it as the council should always listen to the community. “That is part of the cost of democracy,” he said.
The council, despite all this, split on the motion, with Mayor Baker, Cr Beregi, Cr Santer, Cr Shannon Welch and Cr Georgia Lamb against and Cr Gibson, Cr Mutton, Cr Lepouris, Cr Spenceley and Cr Bourke for.
Baker then said “I’m going to use my casting vote in favor of the status quo.”
Last night’s meeting also elected Godfrey Santer as deputy mayor after Bourke stepped down. Both councillors have now had two stints as deputy mayor in the current council.