NSW gov’t forced to pull council business vote plan

September 12, 2014
Issue 
Shooters and Fishers NSW MP Robert Borsak is helping the NSW Liberal Party unseat Sydney Mayor Clover Moore.

The NSW Coalition government has been forced to cancel parliamentary debate on a bill to give businesses two votes in Sydney City Council elections. The bill, sponsored by Shooters and Fishers Party Senator Robert Borsak, has been widely interpreted as a measure designed to defeat independent Sydney Mayor Clover Moore and give the Liberal Party control of council.

The bill was due for debate on September 10, but was dropped from the agenda at the last moment. Until then, the bill had the vocal backing of the government. Premier Mike Baird publicly endorsed double business votes last month.

The government is considering amending the legislation to keep one vote for businesses in the city area, but keeping the provision to make business voting compulsory, said the September 11 Sydney Morning Herald. Small businesses have one vote in council elections, but are not obliged to vote. The bill would have applied fines of $2200 for businesses failing to vote.

Local councils around NSW overwhelmingly oppose the bill because it allows the minister to extend the changes to other local government areas.

The NSW plan is based on the "Melbourne model" of compulsory double votes for businesses in Melbourne City Council. However, on September 8, an independent review of the Melbourne scheme strongly criticised it as undemocratic, and recommended a return to one vote for businesses.

The model has led to total big business and Liberal domination of the Melbourne City Council. Only a minority of the 11 councillors reside within the city boundaries. Residents' wishes have been overwhelmed by tens of thousands of conservative business votes.

Widespread public outrage against the Shooters and Fishers bill is likely behind the Baird government's partial retreat. About 500 people rallied on September 6 at Sydney Town Hall under the slogan, "One vote, one value".

Speakers, including Moore, independent MP Alex Greenwich, and representatives of Labor, the Greens, Unions NSW, and Local Government NSW, spoke against the bill. Actor Robyn Nevin slammed the proposal as a threat to democracy, and a further example of big business corruption of the political process.

An emergency rally outside state parliament on September 10, chaired by NSW Greens MLC David Shoebridge, heard speakers from various parties condemn the proposed bill. Shoebridge said: “Corporations are openly buying politicians in Australia. Does anyone now claim that big business doesn't have enough say in politics in NSW and Australia?"

Susan Price, Socialist Alliance candidate for the seat of Summer Hill in the NSW state election next March, told Green Left Weekly: "This plan for double votes for businesses in the Sydney City Council is an outrage against democratic rights.

"It is appalling that, with the revelations about political corruption currently being made in ICAC [the Independent Commission Against Corruption], the Baird government has the gall to consider supporting a further boost to voting rights for corporations over residents.

"Businesses should not have any votes in elections, let alone double! Elections are for people, not businesses.

"This bill should be completely thrown out, and existing single votes for businesses abolished. Rather than increasing corporate control in Australia, we need to campaign to take power out of the hands of big business, and place it fully in the hands of the people."

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