Former lord mayoral candidate Jennifer Yang expected to again challenge Sally Capp for top job
Lord Mayor Sally Capp is frontrunner for the Melbourne City Council election in October, but she is likely to face another challenge from a tough campaigner she beat last time. Here’s who.
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Lord Mayor Sally Capp faces another tough challenge from a candidate who came close to beating her at the last election.
Former federal Labor Party candidate Jennifer Yang has given the strongest hint yet that she will run in October’s council poll with a blistering attack against Ms Capp and the council over parking issues.
“Businesses are suffering because no-one wants to come into the CBD due to parking prices and shortages,” she said in a statement.
“Residents are disadvantaged by chaotic rules. And all the while council is using the crisis to plug their own financial holes. It’s a scandal.”
Ms Yang focused on a City of Melbourne budget paper which estimated that parking fine revenue will rise from $17.5 million in 2020-21 to about $41 million in 2023-24.
However, the much smaller than usual figure for 2020-21 takes into account the expected fall in fines due to continuing pandemic shutdowns.
The council collected $12.3 million less in parking fees and fines in 2019-20 than budgeted for due to shutdowns.
But Ms Yang highlighted the case of ICU doctor Katarina Arandjelovic who got a council parking fine after a long shift at Royal Melbourne Hospital, which was later revoked.
“The city rakes in millions in fines and won’t even give our doctors, nurses and health workers free parking in a health crisis … what’s going on in council for goodness’ sake,” she said.
Ms Yang was narrowly beaten on preferences at the 2018 lord mayoral by-election, and she failed to win the eastern suburbs seat of Chisholm for the ALP at the 2019 federal poll.
A former Manningham mayor, Ms Yang is yet to confirm her candidacy, but is expected to run on an unofficial Labor ticket with the support of some unions.
Backing her is Health Workers’ Union secretary Diana Asmar, who has been campaigning for free parking for healthcare workers for over a year.
“In most cities around the world, doctors and healthcare professionals receive free parking near their hospitals, yet in Melbourne we have mean and petty bean-counters running the show”, she said.
Labor is running an official ticket for the council election headed by Slater and Gordon law firm executive Phil Reed.
Ms Capp declined to comment.
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