Make Melbourne Green

The Melbourne Times, Page 3, March 12 2008:

So, can a Green grab the lord mayor’s job?

By Bianca Hall.

Industrial relations lawyer and Greens candidate Adam Bandt will today launch his campaign to unseat lord mayor John So.

The 35-year-old is no stranger to politics. At last year’s federal election, he made the long-held ALP seat of Melbourne marginal, losing to Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner by just 4.71 per cent.

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The Greens will use Victoria’s first year of simultaneous council elections to mount a co-ordinated attack on the State Government over public transport. Melbourne Greens councillor Fraser Brindley, who will not contest this election, said Greens candidates pursuing seats in a dozen metropolitan councils would present a “united front” on the issue.

“We’re putting forward an alternative vision for transport for inner Melbourne,” he said.

In a veiled reference to the State Government’s Eddington inquiry into Melbourne’s east-west transport needs, which has attracted concerted lobbying by the Macquarie Bank for a new tolled tunnel and freeway, Mr Bandt said that his mayoral campaign would focus on the relationship between the council, the State Government and business groups.

“At the moment, John So does whatever Labor wants, and Labor does whatever Macquarie Bank wants,” he said.

“We’ve lost any notion of having a council that stands up for liveability.”

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Five Greens candidates for Melbourne’s councillor positions will be announced today - lead candidate Cathy Oke, Rohan Leppert, Alister Air, Donna Lancaster and Jack Fuller.