Arron Wood takes aim at Nick Reece’s policies in lord mayoral debate
Lord Mayor Nick Reece has been accused of recycling his election policies over his pledge to push for tax breaks for employers who take staff to business lunches as he faced off against mayoral hopeful Arron Wood.
Victoria
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Lord Mayor Nick Reece and mayoral hopeful Arron Wood have traded barbs over their election promises, including Mr Reece’s plan to push for tax breaks for employers who take their staff out to business lunches.
The Herald Sun on Wednesday revealed that Mr Reece would, if elected later this month, campaign for the federal government to review the fringe benefits tax, which is paid by employers on certain benefits provided to employees.
Mr Reece said the reform would not only boost Melbourne’s hospitality sector, but reduce the tax burden on businesses trying to offer incentives to entice their employees back into the city.
But in fiery exchanges on Thursday morning, Mr Wood – who went head to head with Mr Reece at a Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry breakfast debate at Crown – accused Mr Reece of recycling his policies.
“It might seem familiar to everyone because Sally Capp ran on that exact same thing last time and it wasn’t delivered,” he said of the FBT policy.
“Nick Reece was actually the adviser to Julia Gillard when she talked about putting the FBT rate up.”
He added: “I think we’ve got to be really sceptical about lots of the promises that have been made during this election.”
But Mr Reece, who said he had been in contact with the federal treasurer Jim Chalmers about FBT reform, backed in his policy.
“One of the initiatives is around fringe benefits tax reform and the idea is it’s a powerful incentive for people to attract their employees back into the office,” he said.
Mr Wood on Wednesday announced he would bring back the Melbourne Money program, which provides a 20 per cent rebate on food, drinks and live music events within the City of Melbourne when the total spend is between $50 and $500.
But Mr Reece criticised the revival of the scheme, which was first launched in 2021.
“I delivered Melbourne Money. I’m flattered that Arron now wants to bring it back,” he said.
“Melbourne Money was a great initiative at the time, but it cost a lot of money at Town Hall.
“And so the FBT reform is the right one in terms of the federal budget. It’s very small, but it potentially has huge impact there.”
When asked about bike lanes, Mr Reece said Mr Wood’s plan to shift bike lanes on Exhibition St – between Flinders and Bourke streets – into the centre of the street was a “recipe for a disaster”.
But Wood hit back: “Unlike Mr Reece, we do a lot of work on our policies. Lots of them sound really familiar because immediately the day after, usually Nick follows.
“Nick’s not a leader, he’s a follower.
“If Nick knew his bike network, there’s actually a protected intersection at Albert St, which is exactly how you get from the middle to kerb.”
Mr Wood also recounted the story of a Kensington cafe owner who had their serving window closed by the City of Melbourne following one complaint.
“What we’ve got at Town Hall is a culture that is not positioned to helping business,” he said.
But Mr Reece replied: “I know the shopkeeper you’re talking about there. I learned about the issue actually when you went out and did media on it.
“There’s a thing called a phone, if you rung me, I would have jumped on it straight away.
“I have done so now and that issue has been resolved.”
Later in the debate, Mr Reece said he was not interested in “personal attacks”.
“You have personal attacks on me every day. Every day my opponents are talking about me and they’re not talking about you,” he said.
“I am relentlessly focused on Melbourne and what we can do to make our city the best and fairest in the world.”
Carlton champion Anthony Koutoufides, Labor’s Phil Reed, businessman Gary Morgan and current councillor Jamal Hakim also faced off at the event.
Koutoufides, who took to the stage with Mr Reed, was asked about his policy to shout city workers a Monday morning coffee for at least a month, saying his team has costed the policy at about $1m for 40,000 coffees.
“I know it’s made the headlines and it looks like that’s all we’re doing, but that was the start of it,” he said.
He spoke about his plan to offer free fitness classes to residents and to bring back share hire e-scooters, but with designated parking bays to keep the city clean and tidy.
“I grew up with migrant parents … mum and dad were out there every weekend hosing down the driveway, if you know what I mean, so I know cleanliness,” he joked.
Mr Reed said his campaign was about “keeping local government local”.
“We’re certainly conscious about growth … and services that local government provide to those communities,” he said.
“One in 20 new houses built in Victoria over the next 20 years will be built here in the City of Melbourne.”
When asked if they would continue to commemorate Australia Day at the City of Melbourne, Koutoufides and Mr Reed both said they had no plans to change it.
“But we do think we have to recognise that it is a day that, while it marks an element of Australia’s history, it’s got a downside for some people,” Mr Reed said.
Mr Hakim, who went up against Mr Morgan, said Melbourne had to think “bolder and bigger”, spruiking his world-first “experience improvement districts” policy, which he said would create vibrant precincts through public-private partnerships and sustainable investment.
“We need to create an economy that is resilient,” he said.
He also clarified that his proposal for more cultural festivals for Diwali, Eid and Hanukkah did not include a push for more public holidays.
Mr Morgan declared that the city “was broke” and he would “make Melbourne great again”, reiterating his plan to call on the state government to give the City of Melbourne its “fair share” of Victoria’s GST haul, which is set to rise by $3.7bn.
“We need a share of it … and I am going to get it for you,” he said.
Mr Reece also reaffirmed his commitment to the $316m Greenline project, despite the fact tens of millions of dollars are yet to be secured for the project.
“Unfortunately, I think the project has attracted a lot of criticism for people who, frankly, wanted to criticise Sally Capp and they got stuck in the personality politics and didn’t realise it’s actually a great project for Melbourne,” he said.
“There are three stages of it that are under way at the moment and I’m committed to seeing through. It was initially promised as a four-year project that has proven not to be possible. It’s now being reset as a 10-year project and we will get it done.”
Mr Wood said he was committed to honouring awarded project contracts, including the Birrarung Marr upgrade.
“But what we won’t do is proceed with an unfunded, undeliverable project,” he said.
Ballot packs have now been mailed to voters, with the polls to close on October 25.
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