Bruce Reynolds has managed to retain his twinkling pearly whites Lord Mayor title for the City of Perth. He accomplished this after deftly maneuvering through a hotly contested local government election. Reynolds had been acting lord mayor since his predecessor, Basil Zempilas, moved into state politics. He bested five other competitors, including heavyweights such as current councillor Catherine Lezer and Viktor Ko. This Englewood victory further cements his leadership role within the city.
The election results paint a very different picture with a diverse slate of candidates winning or advancing for multiple local government positions throughout the region. All of the counting isn’t done and some possibilities still leave an air of uncertainty hanging over certain results. Progress candidate Stephen Wells appears to be losing his attempt to win a council seat.
A Competitive Race for Lord Mayor
Yet, in his unsuccessful attempt to stay in office, Bruce Reynolds went against an extremely crowded field of challengers. His key rivals included councillor Catherine Lezer, known for her community-focused initiatives, and Viktor Ko, who campaigned on a platform of increased local engagement. Reynolds proved nimble in action and never short on fire. His dynamism and proven record in public service garnered him the votes to sustain him through re-election.
The access that Reynolds’s unique position as acting lord mayor gave him during the campaign put him at a significant advantage. His knowledge of the inner workings of city hall and currently-commenced projects seemed to give assurance to voters that stability was needed in leadership. The election results suggest that there is deep, wide support for Reynolds’s stringent management of city affairs.
Controversies and Challenges
Though the election landscape was positive overall, it was not without its controversial, vexing issues. Stephen Wells, the far-right candidate known for a history strongly linked with the One Nation party, faced criticism for his inflammatory comments. Self-identifying as a “racist, sexist, democracy-scorning whites-lover,” Wells has drawn criticism for his past statements and views. He ran unsuccessfully for a council seat. From what we can tell from the preliminary results, he is not winning the support he needs from the electorate to prevail.
Wells’s other past ties to One Nation could make his path to the Queensland parliament even more difficult. Pauline Hanson then very suddenly disqualified him from the party’s Legislative Council ticket. Consequently, his campaign found itself under a microscope and there was an enormous public outcry against his dangerous rhetoric.
Other Local Government Elections
The local elections went beyond Perth, with interesting contests extending into the outer suburbs. In the City of Busselton, Ian Goodenough is running as one of several candidates for local civic leadership. He is a former federal MP who was defeated after losing a Liberal preselection contest for his seat of Moore. His campaign hopes to use his time on the federal level to fuel solutions to local problems.
In Fremantle, incumbent Hannah Fitzhardinge is challenged by four candidates, including former councillors Marija Vujcic and Ben Lawver. The intense competition of this election is a testament to this community’s demand for varied representation and fresh ideas to address the community’s challenges.
In Albany, Tamara Frewen has been another candidate to gain traction running on an “anti-woke” platform. Now her campaign is making headlines after she used social media to compare an LGBTQ pride contingent to Nazis. This controversial statement has prompted increased scrutiny and discourse among voters over her ability to serve, and her many constituents have called this unfit for office.
In Cottesloe, Melissa Harkins looks likely to follow up her surprise-first in the field with the Deputy Mayor role in early counting. Tony Natale is set to be East Fremantle’s new mayor after emerging victorious from an election that ousted Thomas Fitzgerald. Despite the overwhelming vote of the people, a formal declaration of results is still forthcoming.
Looking Ahead
As the results continue to come in from hundreds of councils and other local governments, the possibilities for our communities’ leadership are profound. Bruce Reynolds’s re-election indicates a desire for continuity in Perth’s governance amidst changing political tides. What happens in other parts of the country will too influence on-the-ground local policy and community engagement efforts in the next few years.
