Voters defy Lib-Lab deal

BLUE MOUNTAINS — Labor voters rejected a sleazy preference deal between the ALP and Liberal Party candidates in a Blue Mountains City Council by-election on February 25. Labor candidate Mark Greenhill and the Liberals' Rodney Forrest swapped preferences in an attempt to prevent a win by progressive community independent Lyn Trindall, who was supported by the Greens.

Despite the Lib-Labs' efforts, Trindall won, with 4152 first-preference votes, ahead of the Liberals' 3673. Greenhill came last with 3007 primary votes, even though his campaign had been bolstered by visits from high-profile Labor pollies like Kim Beazley and Peter Garrett.

Greenhill apparently hoped that a by-election success would provide him with a leg up to a federal parliamentary career. However, most Labor voters treated the ALP's unprincipled pact with the contempt it deserved. One-third defied it and gave their second preference to Trindall, another third did not preference at all and only a third followed the ALP how-to-vote card.

Terry Townsend

From Green Left Weekly, March 8, 2006.

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From GLW issue 659