Australia has a new Prime Minister. Scott Morrison. Scott was only recently on the South Coast showing his support for member for Gilmore Ann Sudmalis so hopefully, when the signatures are revealed, we will see the new PM continue to support Ms Sudmalis in her quest to represent Gilmore in the next Federal election. There is little doubt that Eurobodalla Council is strongly behind Ms Sudmalis judging from the two effusive video endorsements recently run on social media, firstly featuring Lindsay Brown and then collectively the Council staff, the Mayor and selected councillors, all happy to stand up and be members of Ann’s Team. This brings us to the issue of Prime Ministers and Mayors. Australia can have a new Prime Minister every week if it wants but Eurobodalla votes for a popularly elected Mayor who then holds that position, come hell or high water, for four years. Each year the Councillors vote amongst themselves as to who should be Deputy Mayor. The current Deputy Mayor is Anthony Mayne. Rumours say his days are numbered because he calls it as he sees it, challenges and questions, is open and transparent and is accessible to the community. Such attributes are frowned on by this Council so they need a councillor more prepared to tow the Council line. Next Tuesday will see the 2018/2019 election of a new Deputy Mayor and all money is on young James Thomson to be voted in. As many who follow local politics already know there is a voting block in our Council of 7 against 2. Though they don’t openly declare it the seven all pretty much agree with each other and accept, without question, what they are told by the staff. The other two, being Anthony Mayne and Green’s councillor Pat McGinlay present as thorns in the arse of Council because they continue to ask questions, openly challenge staff opinion and generally, embarrassingly, make the other councillors look indifferent and disassociated from the very community they are meant to be representing. Deputy Mayor Mayne has also been gaining inner fortitude of late and is really starting to call Council out across a range of issues as well as openly challenging the Mayor with Points of Order on how she conducts her “court”. In a nutshell the Mayor, her “gang” and the staff don’t like what Mayne and McGinlay are doing. Coming up close behind in the dislike stakes is Councillor Constable however his approach is not as abrasive as the other two so he is tolerated by the gang as being someone they might be able to coerce to their way of thinking when votes are close. So Tuesday will see Deputy Mayor Mayne voted out and Thomson voted in. The vote will be seven to two. James has already won the heart of the staff and executive and is being pushed along in his political career path by mentors encouraging him to attend more conferences, sit on more committees and even engage in corresponding with leading business groups in the Shire advising them of his unconditional support of Council staff and Council policies. The rub is that Eurobodalla is still left with the same Mayor for another two years. In 2006 Eurobodalla Shire residents voted, via a referendum to elect a popularly elected mayor. Back in 2015 then mayor, Lindsay Brownsaid "It brings stability and consistency and removes the annual political games so commonly associated with council-elected mayors. Four year terms allow for effective advocacy with governments and the ability to build relationships with funding bodies." With the behind scenes bun fights that have been flaring up between councillors including Brown and Innes it is probably a good thing that we do have a Mayor for four years because there is little doubt that there would be spills on a regular basis that might even return Lindsay Brown to Mayor (which 80% of Eurobodalla clearly did not want at the last election).
Until next , Lei
