Kerry Smith, Sydney

Sam Byrne, the deputy mayor of Marrickville, is standing for the Greens in the Marrickville state by-election. He believes he has a chance of taking the once safe Labor seat on September 17.

In the last few years, the Greens have polled strongly in Sydney’s inner west. The Greens averaged 30-35% in the 2004 council election and won five council positions, compared to Labor's four, and ending 45 years of Labor mayoralty in Marrickville.

The Greens need a swing of just over 10% to take the seat, formerly held by Andrew Refshauge, who retired as the Labor government’s deputy premier last month after holding the seat since 1983. Carmel Tebbutt, the NSW education minister, has taken leave from her upper house seat to contest Marrickville for the ALP. Premier Morris Iemma has promised to allow Tebbutt to resume her upper house seat if she does not win Marrickville.

The Greens are campaigning for more public services, an inclusive, diverse community and a clean environment. They are calling for more money for public transport, rather than for building more motorways, and for the public school system. This is important, Byrne argues, “so that we can regain confidence that our public schools offer quality education for our children”.

The Greens are also campaigning on Labor's neglect of the water and energy crisis. “We need sustainable solutions such as re-use and recycling of water, not half-baked ideas like the desalination plant”, said Byrne.

The Liberal Party is not contesting Marrickville, making it more likely that the Greens could win the seat.

From Green Left Weekly, August 31, 2005.
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