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Sally Capp unveils cross-party bid for Melbourne Town Hall
By Bianca Hall
Lord mayor Sally Capp has announced that a unity ticket comprising Labor, Liberal and former Team Doyle members will form her leadership team for Melbourne Town Hall's election next month.
Cr Capp, a former Liberal Party member and Property Council chief, will run a joint ticket with former ALP state secretary Nicholas Reece, her pick for deputy lord mayor.
Cr Reece has worked as a lawyer, journalist and adviser to former prime minister Julia Gillard, before being elected as a City of Melbourne councillor in 2016.
Lord mayor Sally Capp has announced her Town Hall campaign teamCredit: Arsineh Houspian
Number one on Cr Capp's councillor ticket is the well-connected Kevin Louey, who was former lord mayor John So's chief of staff and was elected as a councillor in 2008 on Labor Unity member Peter McMullin's ticket. In 2012, Cr Louey switched camps and was elected on former Liberal opposition leader and lord mayor Robert Doyle's ticket.
Other candidates on Cr Capp's team include barrister and senior Liberal Party figure Roshena Campbell.
She said her chief priority was jobs creation in the COVID-19 battered CBD, and praised Cr Capp for bringing together a team crossing party divides.
"We need somebody who is able to bridge these divides."
Mark McMillan, a Wiradjuri man, RMIT professor of law and deputy pro vice-chancellor for Indigenous education and engagement, will run as number-three councillor candidate.
Rounding out the ticket are architect and artist Tania Davidge, who campaigned against Apple setting up a store in Federation Square, Cherry Bar owner James Young, and public policy expert and non-profit organisation founder Tina Kuek.
"I am very proud to be leading a team of experienced and passionate people who want to work with me to lead Melbourne out of the economic devastation caused by the COVID pandemic and into a brighter future," Cr Capp said.
"The team represents the breadth of the talent, diversity and character of our great city."
Town Hall observers have conducted unofficial modelling that shows Cr Capp's vote at 30-32 per cent, which would give her enough to have her first three candidates for councillors elected, giving her a slight five out of 11 minority on council.
Team Capp (left to right): Tina Kuek, Mark McMillan, Roshena Campbell, Nicholas Reece, Sally Capp, Kevin Louey, Tania Davidge and James Young.
Under the ALP's rules, Labor members are allowed to run against the official Labor ticket in City of Melbourne elections. That ticket will be helmed by Slater and Gordon government and stakeholder relations chief Phil Reed, with Wesa Chau – a multicultural campaigner and one-time federal candidate – Labor's deputy lord mayor candidate.
Businesswoman and ALP member Jennifer Yang, who fell just short of beating Cr Capp with 46.95 per cent of the vote after preferences in 2018, will run again for the top job and has named Sandra Gee, who runs Alpaca Connection in the Block Arcade, as her deputy.
Cr Reece, an active ALP member, said his focus would be on "jobs, jobs, jobs".
"My experience means that I know how to get things done in Melbourne, and I think that's an attribute that's needed right now."
Cr Capp was elected in 2018 after former lord mayor Mr Doyle resigned amid an ongoing sexual harassment scandal.
Mr Doyle's former second-in-charge, deputy lord mayor Arron Wood, is running against Cr Capp for the top job, and is considered a strong contender. He has named company founder and director Lisa Teh his pick for deputy.
Academic and unionist Apsara Sabaratnam is the Greens candidate for Town Hall, with health worker Roxane Ingleton running as her deputy.
Other contenders include pollster Gary Morgan, who has contested the position four times previously. He is running with QVM activist Mary-Lou Howie as his candidate for deputy, and councillor Jackie Watts as his lead councillor candidate.