City of Darebin - Council Governance

Council Governance

Darebin Council elections have been dominated by the Australian Labor Party (ALP). At the first City of Darebin election in 1996 and at subsequent elections in 1998, 2002 and 2004 only ALP member candidates were successful. The ALP endorsed candidates for the very first Darebin Council elections, but in subsequent elections the local party organisation supported particular candidates in each contested ward. The decision of the party not to endorse candidates almost certainly arises from the performance of the very first elected council, in which a deal between ALP factions determined the preselection of the party's council candidates.

Dissatisfaction with the performance of the first Darebin Council led to the Kennett Government holding an Inquiry under David Elsum, which reported to the Victorian Parliament in April 1997. The Elsum Report found that factional differences led to poor governance on the Council. As a result the Kennett Government sacked the Council and appointed a commissioner, but decided to return to an elected council about eighteen months later in 1998.

The council consisted of nine single-Councillor wards at each of the four elections totally dominated by the ALP. In 2008, following a representation review by the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC), Darebin was divided into three wards comprising three Councillors in each elected by proportional representation. For the first time the ALP stranglehold was broken with the election of Trent McCarthy, a Greens candidate, to the Rucker Ward. The first election in 1996 was by attendance voting. Postal voting was used at each subsequent election.

ALP factions provided much of the interest in Darebin politics, given that the ALP is in a commanding position within the municipality. Two Councillors elected from the Right or Labor Unity faction, Nazih Elasmar and Marlene Kairouz, were subsequently elected to the Victorian Parliament. Both Elasmar and Kairouz have at various times served as Mayor of Darebin, Kairouz having held the office of Mayor on two occasions.

At the first Darebin Council Election no faction held control, with four Councillors from the Preston area being members of the Labor Unity (Right) faction, four Councillors from the Northcote area being members of the Socialist Left, and one Councillor from the Preston area being a member of the Pledge faction, a breakaway group from the Socialist Left frequently voting with the Right. After elections in 1998, 2002 and 2004 the Labor Unity group held almost all Council positions, but complications existed within Labor Unity as two sub-factions competed for dominance and for the election of Mayor. In 2008, with the introduction of the proportional representation voting system, no faction again held dominance.

Ethnically the Council reflected non-English speaking background (NESB) residents in a way that the previous Preston and Northcote Councils did not, for the latter were for much of the time dominated by Anglo and Celtic Councillors who were often prejudiced against residents from NESB backgrounds. All Darebin Councils have been ethnically diverse.

The first Council was one-third Greek, with Councillors Bilias, Tsitas and Politis of Greek-ethnic background. The first Council also saw the election of Crs Keirl (of German-Chinese background), Elasmar (Lebanese), Laurence (Indian) with Anglo-Celtic councillors Anderson, Donohue and Kelly.

Greek membership of the Council declined at the elections of 1998, with only Cr Tsitas returned, and his defeat in 2002 meant that there we no Greeks on the Council for the 2002-2004 term. Cr Tsitas was again elected in 2004, and he was joined in 2008 by a second Greek, Nick Katsis. Anglo-Celtic representation remained at three in 1998, but was reduced to two in 2004 and has remained at that level since. Crs Kelly, Perry and Stephenson were returned in 1998, and were re-elected in 2002. In 2004 Crs Kelly and Stephenson were returned, but neither contested the elections of 2008. Crs Morgan and McCarthy were elected in 2008.

Lebanese representation on the Council has also been significant, with two of their number later being elected to the Victorian Parliament. Lebanese Councillors elected were Cr Elasmar in 1996, Cr Kairouz in 1998, 2002 and 2004 and Cr Asmar in 1998, 2002, 2004 and 2008. All three have served as Mayor.

Italians have served in all Darebin Councils other than the first. Italians elected have been Cr Fontana in 1998, 2002, 2004 and 2008, Cr Salata in 1998, 2002 and 2004, and Cr Greco in 2008. Other ethnic groups represented have been Indian (Cr Laurence in 1996 and 2008), Chinese (Cr Chiang in 2002, 2004 and 2008) and Macedonian (Cr Kundevski in 2004).