Lacking vision: Former Cairns mayors, Val Schier and Bob Manning, call for city’s next leader to do more ahead of local government elections
Former Cairns mayors have criticised the seven candidates’ campaign performances urging “dynamic” and “engaging” new leaders to seize their next chance to run for local government.
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Former Cairns mayors have criticised the seven candidates’ campaign performances urging “dynamic” and “engaging” new leaders to seize their next chance to run for local government.
Val Schier was the first female to run for the top job in 2004 before becoming the only woman to wear the city’s mayoral chain in 2008, defeating long serving leader Kevin Byrne in a major upset.
The former Machans Beach Community Association president was then ousted in 2012, with Bob Manning storming into power, kickstarting a dozen years of council dominance for his Unity team.
While acknowledging Cairns faces major financial challenges, the former political foes agreed the 2024 campaign lacked “vision”.
“I find it a little bit disheartening,” Ms Schier, who’s been keenly observing the hustings, attending community events and debates for the last month, said.
“The presentations have been uninspiring. People (the candidates) have been given three or four minutes to speak and yet can’t convey a clear message about what they want to do.
“If you can’t do that, how can you run a region?”
Speaking for the first time since his retirement late last year, Mr Manning said the campaign had failed to capture voters’ imaginations.
“Whether we cut the grass or get the line marking right, trim the plants – that’s not visionary,” Mr Manning said.
Fostering better relationships with the Premier and Prime Minister, will be key to the success of the city’s next mayor.
“The relationship between local government and the state is not good anymore,” Mr Manning said. “It used to be very, very close. That’s unfortunate because local government is like a sub-agency for the state. You can’t be too critical of them.
“You don’t run the show. You’ve got to work with people.”
Ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper, which delivered an estimated $113m blow to council’s budget in December, had posed serious questions about Cairns’ future, Ms Schier said.
“My views are coloured by the flooding and what happened on the northern beaches,” she said.
“We really need people that are thinking about the future. They’re talking about growth strategies but they’re not talking about how that development is going to take place.
“I also would have thought we needed to think beyond crime and be talking about what opportunities there are.”
Mr Manning stopped short of endorsing his successor, Terry James, who took over following the former leader’s retirement late last year but added his old workmate was a strong candidate.
“I honestly think Terry James is experienced … and he understands this council,” he said.
“You don’t get a Formula One race car and put a novice in it. Terry’s served a long apprenticeship.”
Mr Manning declined to discuss the vitriolic confrontation with Team Eden volunteer and former council CEO John Andrejic that occurred outside his house last month.
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Originally published as Lacking vision: Former Cairns mayors, Val Schier and Bob Manning, call for city’s next leader to do more ahead of local government elections
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