Labor looks to primary source of local input

RESIDENTS and and Labor Party members are jointly voting to select Labor's lord mayoral candidate for the Sydney City Council

ONE of the biggest political party preselection contests will conclude today, with residents and Labor Party members jointly voting to select Labor's lord mayoral candidate for the Sydney City Council elections in September.

After three weeks of postal and online voting, about 4000 residents -- who are not party members -- have cast a vote, representing 4.5 per cent of the electorate. Approximately 400 party members are also expected to vote.

In-person voting at four polling stations takes place today and the winner will be announced tonight at a special election party.

The community preselection, or primary, allows 90,000 voters living in the Sydney City Council area to vote, making up 50 per cent of the voting pool. The remainder of the pool comprises party members.

Labor sources predict the likely winner to be either civil liberties campaigner Cameron Murphy -- son of High Court judge Lionel Murphy -- or refugee activist Linda Scott.

The other candidates are community radio pioneer and social finance entrepreneur Cass Wilkinson, Chinatown restaurateur Jonathan Yee and academic Damian Spruce.

Mr Murphy, Ms Scott and Mr Spruce are from Labor's Left faction and Ms Wilkinson is from the Right.

Candidates have participated in public meetings, televised debates and social networking forums on a range of subjects.

The primary trial is an attempt by Labor re-establish links with the community. NSW Labor secretary Sam Dastyari said: "We have to change how we select our candidates. We need more people involved in deciding who should represent the party and primaries are a way to achieve this."

Mr Dastyari will conduct several primaries for the 2015 NSW election.

Labor's 2010 National Review report by party elders Steve Bracks, Bob Carr and John Faulkner recommended primaries be implemented nationally but no national model has been agreed upon.

If unsuccessful, Labor's mayoral candidate is likely to be the party's nominee for Mayor Clover Moore's state seat of Sydney.

Ms Moore has been forced to vacate one of her twin posts as mayor and MP. A by-election is expected in October.