Adelaide Lord Mayor Martin Haese won’t direct preferences for Town Hall candidates
SITTING Adelaide Lord Mayor Martin Haese has declared he will run an open ticket and won’t direct preferences at this year’s council elections.
SITTING Adelaide Lord Mayor Martin Haese has declared he will run an open ticket and won’t direct preferences at this year’s council elections.
But he has revealed he will be “personally endorsing” candidates in the lead up to the November poll including incumbent councillors Houssam Abiad, Anne Moran and Priscilla Corbell-Moore.
Mr Haese told The Advertiser that he had been meeting with sitting councillors and new candidates who had indicated they were keen to contest the coming election.
“I am also continuing to meet with further candidates,” he said.
“In doing so, I am looking for people who have good judgment, character, experience and understand the importance of teamwork.
“Although I will not be running a numbered preferential ticket, I am personally endorsing a
number of very diverse individuals who are community minded, would work well together
and deliver results for the community.”
Mr Haese is also backing domestic violence campaigner Arman Abrahimzadeh, filmmaker Quentin Kenihan, Barossa Fine Foods owner Franz Knoll, disability advocate Betty-Jean Price and Adelaide Park Lands Authority member Stephanie Johnston.
Former SA Young Liberal president Alex Hyde, former Greens MLC Mark Parnell staffer Sam Taylor, defence veteran Dan Turner, North Adelaide residents Rick Carter and Mary Couros, Sanja Jovanovic and Simon Hou also have Mr Haese’s support.
Mr Haese said more would be added to the list once nominations for the race for Town Hall close on September 18.
“Once I have announced all of the candidates that I am endorsing, I will then release several very exciting key policies that the next term of Council will focus on delivering for the community,” he said.
Mr Haese did have a numbered ticket when he ran for Lord Mayor in 2014, defeating then incumbent Stephen Yarwood by just 218 votes.
He said there was no cap on how many candidates he would endorse if they convinced him they were “community minded”.
So far Mr Haese’s only challenge for the top job in Town Hall is former councillor and Deputy Lord Mayor Mark Hamilton — who also ran for Lord Mayor in 2014.
Mr Hamilton has put a traffic overhaul to reduce CBD congestion at the centrepiece of his challenge for Town Hall and has advocated for commercial incentives to attract businesses to vacant commercial buildings.
Up to five councillor positions could be up for grabs in November.