Ousted Sydney deputy mayor Kerryn Phelps reveals Clover Moore’s autocratic rule
BOMBSHELL revelations from Sydney’s respected deputy mayor Kerryn Phelps have lifted the lid on Clover Moore’s autocratic reign as Lord Mayor.
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BOMBSHELL revelations from Sydney’s respected deputy mayor Kerryn Phelps have lifted the lid on Clover Moore’s autocratic reign as Lord Mayor, where dissenting voices are silenced and transparency is blocked.
In an exclusive interview Professor Phelps has blown the whistle on the nightmare that began a year ago with a meeting five days after being elected the No. 2 on Ms Moore’s independent party ticket and culminates tonight when she relinquishes the title of deputy mayor.
At the first of just two face-to-face audiences Ms Moore would grant the high-profile doctor once touted as her possible successor, the Lord Mayor said she knew Prof Phelps expected the role of deputy but “that was not going to happen”.
Ms Moore said the deputy mayor’s position would be rotated and Prof Phelps could have it for no more than one year. “I was blindsided,” Prof Phelps said.
In reality, Prof Phelps got the position in name only.
When Ms Moore was ill late last year and earlier this year, Prof Phelps found herself in the embarrassing position of being passed over to officiate at civic functions, including a homecoming ceremony for Paralympians and the openings of the Sydney writers’ and film festivals.
I am nobody’s rubber stamp - PHELPS
“It got very embarrassing because people kept coming up and saying to me, ‘I saw you at the event, how come you weren’t officiating’.”
Prof Phelps said she felt marginalised and disrespected and despite her high profile, the former president of the Australian Medical Association was dissuaded from talking to the media on matters related to Town Hall.
On one occasion Ms Moore demanded Prof Phelps pursue a retraction when she was quoted as being supportive of business.
Relations deteriorated when she sought a detailed breakdown of spending for the $3.6 million annual Lord Mayor’s office budget.
As chair of the council’s finance committee, Prof Phelps said she received no satisfactory answers about what the Lord Mayor’s office money was spent on and the process behind how it was allocated.
“I am nobody’s rubber stamp,” Prof Phelps said.
She was soon dumped from the audit, risk and compliance committee of the Lord Mayor’s office.
Prof Phelps resigned from Ms Moore’s independent party in June but retained the position of deputy mayor. She will not seek re-election for the position at a meeting tonight, instead backing Liberal councillor Christine Forster’s nomination for deputy.
“Being on the ‘independent team’ has little to do with being independent.”
Ms Moore declined The Daily Telegraph’s request for an interview, saying through a spokesman the allegations were dealt with when Prof Phelps resigned from her party.
A spokesman for Ms Moore described the claims as “a desperate grab for attention ahead of the Deputy Lord Mayoral vote”.
“The Lord Mayor did not make any kind of deal with Kerryn Phelps before the last election,” he said.
Following Prof Phelps’ resignation from the party, Ms Moore accused her of failing to show up to community events.
“I’ve been unhappy with her lack of understanding and support of City policies … as well as her non-attendance of important community and City events.”
Prof Phelps said Ms Moore’s suggestion that she wasn’t committed to the work was “just mean and nasty” and “very serious and false”.
“It was scratching around for reasons why I would want to leave the party, rather than the real reasons. I think most people read it for what it was: sour grapes.
“My staff, my family and the community have observed how hard I work and how committed I am to the work and the council and the people of Sydney.”
Prof Phelps is committed to serving out the remaining three years of her term at council and will continue to scrutinise the Lord Mayor’s office spending.
She said she was not satisfied with the explanation that rising steel prices and road work complications were reason to justify the budget blowout to $11.3 million for the giant Cloud Arch sculpture.
She supports public art but said alternatives for this spending must be examined.