Mayor choice: why it’s not So

Peter Farago
WHY is John So our bro but our mayor follows the Labor line with his toe?
According to Liberal candidate for Geelong Scott Dixon, it’s because Melbourne’s ratepayers voted directly for their Lord Mayor but in Geelong Peter McMullin’s leadership was contrived in a back-room deal.
Mr Dixon last week stepped up calls for a popularly-elected mayor in Geelong, claiming Cr McMullin had become a Labor “cheerleader”.
Mr Dixon accused Cr McMullin of “toeing the Labor party line” at the expense of residents.
The response from City Hall this year to several issues involving State Government or Labor party members that would usually draw the ire of local councillors has been strangely muted.
But Cr McMullin called Mr Dixon’s claims a “cowardly political attack”.
“I’m just getting on with the job of advocating for Geelong 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” the mayor declared last week.
Mr Dixon’s theory is that a mayor chosen by the people won’t give a free ride to State Government regardless of its political persuasion.
But the theory has holes.
While Cr McMullin is a member of a dominant Labor block on council, he, along with his colleagues, were elected by ratepayers in the first place.
And there’s nothing to say that Cr McMullin, who is independently wealthy and has admitted paying vast sums for his tilt at federal parliament in 2004, couldn’t impress voters across Geelong at a mayoral election and conduct himself in much the same manner as he does today.
The method of election won’t necessarily change a mayor’s and councillors’ relationships with a State Government.
But that doesn’t mean a directly-elected mayor wouldn’t provide additional benefits to ratepayers.
Melbourne Lord Mayor John So has demonstrated what direct election can do for the position.
Not beholden to councillors that elected him, Cr So’s presidential style has created a higher profile for the position than previous mayoral reigns.
Moving out of the shadows of Channel Nine weather girl Livinia Nixon hasn’t hurt either, with Cr So going from strength to strength since obtaining cult status during the Commonwealth Games, even launching a Music Men CD in his honour.
But Cr McMullin hasn’t been a shrinking violet in terms of seeking media exposure, either, although the media pool attending his functions is rather more limited.
Cr McMullin is called on to comment in almost all positive press releases from City Hall, while his services are offered regularly for photographs.
The difference between John So and Peter McMullin is the latter has obvious political ambitions rising from his unsuccessful campaign to defeat Liberal Stewart McArthur in the federal seat of Corangamite at the 2004 election.
Mr Dixon’s decision to produce the direct-election card was political.
But Cr McMullin will prove to be a fair target if he seeks Labor preselection for the next election – a decision he continues to rule out, stating: “I haven’t made my mind up on that.”
One thing to come out of this latest round of political posturing is both sides of local politics seem to favour direct election of Geelong’s mayor.
It would give the council a greater voice when championing the city’s virtues, especially if the mayor served a four-year term.