Labor-led Melbourne council candidates’ bold plan for the Queen Victoria Market
Improving access to the Queen Victoria Market will be a top priority for ALP lord mayoral candidate Phil Reed. Here’s what else he has planned for the City of Melbourne.
Victoria
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Travelling to Queen Victoria Market could be quite different under a Labor-led Melbourne City Council.
ALP lord mayoral candidate Phil Reed has also said that if he wins he will “trade places” with another council’s mayor once a month to exchange ideas.
Mr Reed and his deputy, multicultural campaigner Wesa Chau, are leading an officially endorsed Labor ticket for the October election as the party tries to peg back inroads made by the Greens in inner-city state and federal seats.
An executive for Labor law firm Slater and Gordon, Mr Reed has been a suburban councillor and political media adviser, and had key roles at WorkSafe and TAC.
“I see the importance of governing and making a contribution, and I’m happy to have my political stripes out there and upfront,” he told the Sunday Herald Sun.
Mr Reed generally supports the council’s $250m redevelopment plan for Queen Victoria Market, but said creating more parking spaces to compensate for a carpark being turned into open space wouldn’t solve the congestion problems.
“We have to expand the dialogue with consumers who use the market regularly to see how we can improve their ability to get in and out of the market in ways other than cars,” he said.
Labor would work with private transport operators, such as on-demand bus providers, to provide efficient transport options.
Mr Reed strongly backs state Labor’s preference for a second supervised injecting room on Victoria St near the market, saying the city council’s opposition to the site was a cop-out.
“Having an argument now and saying ‘We don’t want to see these issues on our doorstep at the market’ — the simple fact is they are on our doorstep right across the city at the moment,” he said.
“There will be challenges for the market and residents nearby, and you’ve got to stay on top of those challenges.”
Labor would also campaign strongly on bringing back jobs to the city post-pandemic, he said.
CAPP FACING BIG COMPETITION
ANALYSIS
Lord Mayor Sally Capp’s main obstacle to re-election this year is a bolstered Labor team and the possibility of a challenge from her deputy Arron Wood.
Ms Capp is expected to run with fellow city councillor Nicholas Reece as her deputy and councillor Kevin Louey as lead council candidate.
Both were members of former Lord Mayor Robert Doyle’s team at the 2016 election.
While Mr Reece is a very active local ALP member, under the party’s rules for City of Melbourne elections he can run against the Labor ticket.
If the ALP fails to snare the lord mayor and deputy roles, it will still be seen as good for the party if Mr Reece is elected deputy lord mayor and a couple of council candidates from the Labor ticket get up.
Slater and Gordon law firm executive Phil Reed is Labor’s candidate for the lord mayoralty.
The Greens are yet to announce their lord mayor candidate, but the party is expected to see two councillors returned, including sitting councillor Rohan Leppert.
His colleague Cathy Oke is tipped not to seek another term.
Mr Wood, who has fallen out with Ms Capp, has not confirmed his intentions, but is expected to run. He could get important backing from former Liberal premier Jeff Kennett, who has publicly praised him.
Pollster and long-time lord mayoralty candidate Gary Morgan will run with QVM campaigner Mary Lou Howie, with Cr Jackie Watts as their main councillor candidate.
Cr Philip Le Liu is tipped to run an unofficial Liberal Party ticket.
In an election where city businesses get two votes but most residents vote Green/Labor, anything could happen.
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