Nick Reece appeals to comrades in bid for votes in Melbourne lord mayoral race

Lord Mayor Nick Reece declared himself a proud independent candidate in the City of Melbourne election but he has now turned to Labor rank-and-file members seeking support — and votes.

Lord Mayor Nick Reece is emailing Labor rank-and-file members seeking their support after previously declaring he was proud to run as an independent.

Mr Reece, a long-time Labor member who is running with Liberal Roshena Campbell, is asking ALP colleagues for their No.2 vote after the party snubbed him on preferences on the ballot paper.

Labor’s official mayoral candidate Phil Reed last month announced he would preference Arron Wood’s ticket ahead of Mr Reece.

Mr Reed said then that the Reece ticket’s policies and personnel did not align “with the views and values of the Labor Party”.

Lord Mayor Nick Reece is running with current councillor Roshena Campbell, a Liberal Party member.

Mr Reece, the incumbent Lord Mayor, has now emailed party comrades saying he was “writing to humbly ask for your #2 vote”, assuming their first vote would go to Mr Reed.

He also said he has served as an independent councillor but reminded members that “my Labor values of fairness, opportunity, and standing up for working people have always been at the heart of everything I do”.

“My career has been deeply rooted in the labour movement,” he said, recalling his time as Victorian branch secretary, as well as serving for Prime Minister Julia Gillard and advising Premiers John Brumby and Steve Bracks.

Nick Reece with fellow lord mayoral candidate Arron Wood. Picture: Jessica Hooper

One party member told the Herald Sun he was surprised to receive the unsolicited email because Mr Reece had touted himself as an independent.

The correspondence is seen as a move to shore up party support despite running as a non-endorsed candidate.

In July, Mr Reece told the Herald Sun: “I’ll be running as an independent because it’s the right thing to do.

“My judgment is I can best represent the people of Melbourne if I run as an independent.”

A campaign spokesperson on Tuesday said that as an independent councillor for seven years, Mr Reece was reaching out to all Melburnians seeking their support.

“From property owners and businesses to residents and traders and that includes people in the Labor Party,” the spokesperson said.

Mr Reece upset some in the labour movement when he announced a plan to sell off the council’s 49 per cent ownership of the Regent Theatre and also when he pledged to push for fringe benefits tax breaks for business lunches.

Mr Reed on Tuesday said that candidates were entitled to canvass for votes by any means.

“Residents and ratepayers want more than campaign teams that are cobbled together in marriages of convenience that tick a few demographic boxes during an election campaign, but cannot hold themselves together to deliver the vision after the election,” Mr Reed said.

“Labor’s team has been selected from the best and brightest in our local branches and is being staffed by a network of local party members and supporters who are contributing their policy smarts and their time to developing a policy agenda that will meet the needs of local residents and local ratepayers.”