Kerryn Phelps misses out on council meetings as she campaigns for Wentworth
KERRYN Phelps skipped important Sydney Council meetings this week so she could campaign for a second job in public office as the federal MP for the seat of Wentworth and is refusing to say whether she would give up her other career as a doctor if she wins.
NSW
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KERRYN Phelps skipped important Sydney Council meetings this week so she could campaign for a second job in public office as the federal MP for Malcolm Turnbull’s former seat of Wentworth and is refusing to say whether she would give up her other career as a doctor if she wins.
Sources at the City of Sydney told The Daily Telegraph yesterday they were concerned the independent candidate for the eastern suburbs electorate is already failing to meet her commitments to ratepayers even before Saturday’s crucial by-election.
Dr Phelps has indicated she intends to stay on the council if she wins the by-election, a result that would spell the end of the government’s majority in the Lower House.
Dr Phelps, a former president of the Australian Medical Association, also owns two private doctors’ practices in the eastern suburbs.
Adding to concerns about Dr Phelps’ number of commitments, sources at the City of Sydney said yesterday the independent councillor also does not like to attend community events on weekends as she prefers to spend them at her property in the Southern Highlands.
Dr Phelps’ non-attendance at events was a major sticking point in her highly public fallout with City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore, who accused her of being driven by ambition — not the work of office.
A spokesman for Dr Phelps said yesterday she had missed Monday’s committee meeting “because it’s the final week of a federal by-election campaign and in a tight election race, every vote counts”.
He refused to say whether Dr Phelps would step down from her practices in Surry Hills and Double Bay.
“Dr Phelps is in the race to win what has historically been a safe Liberal seat and is taking nothing for granted,” the spokesman said.
“Right now, Dr Phelps is focused on developing ideas and policies that would improve the lives of people of Wentworth.”
But her views are already well known on climate change, refugee rights, health funding and gender equality.
In a speech delivered to the Executive Council of Australia Jewry’s public forum this week, Dr Phelps said she stood for “the sensible centre”, describing the environment as “the future of our nation”.
The situation in Nauru was “a blight on the Australian conscious” and she spoke proudly of marrying her wife at her Synagogue in Emanuel earlier this year.
She has backed tax cuts for businesses, both big and small.
It comes as Liberal Party polling leaked yesterday shows Dr Phelps is forecast for victory over Liberal candidate Dave Sharma in Saturday’s by-election with 55 per cent of the vote on a two-party preferred basis.
Earlier this week Dr Phelps confirmed she wanted to continue as a councillor if she wins Wentworth.
“I’m used to working hard,” she said.
“I’d have to look at the schedule and make sure I could attend as many council meetings as possible.”
Dr Phelps, who has previously said she wants to “represent the sensible centre”, has continued to work as a GP during the campaign — working two four-hour shifts each week.
Her council colleagues also told The Daily Telegraph they were “unsure” exactly what she stood for and that she had been courted by “both Labor and Liberal” at various times during her political career.
While Dr Phelps had served as deputy mayor for Ms Moore’s far-left party, she now often votes with the Liberals against her former colleagues.
“She hates Clover so now votes against her, but we don’t know what she actually believes in,” one councillor, who asked not to be named, told The Daily Telegraph.
Ms Moore said yesterday: “As I said last year, after the 2016 election, it became increasingly clear that Cr Phelps did not share the progressive values or vision of our team.”
Dr Phelps’ spokesman told The Daily Telegraph in two years prior to the campaign, Dr Phelps had not missed a council meeting.
“She regularly attends community events during the week, in evenings and on weekends and takes her responsibilities as a councillor very seriously,” he said.
“When she was Deputy Lord Mayor in 2016-17, Dr Phelps represented Clover Moore on many occasions when the Lord Mayor was unable or unwilling to attend.”
A long-term advocate on public health issues and civil rights, including same-sex marriage, Dr Phelps rose to prominence in the 1990s in several television presenting gigs, including segments on the Nine Network sex education program Sex.
As a City of Sydney councillor Dr Phelps is paid about $35,000 per year.
If she wins Wentworth she will get an MP salary of $207,100 per annum.