By ERWIN CHLANDA
Updated 5pm:
Damien Ryan has just told the Alice Springs News that he has resumed his role as the Mayor of Alice Springs.
Earlier today:
This was not a good occasion to discuss returning to the Town Council, said former Mayor Damien Ryan this morning, when asked by the Alice Springs News whether he would.
He was here to congratulate Robyn Lambley, he said, on retaining her seat of Araluen which he was trying to take off her in the 2020 Territory Election on August 22.
“Here” was the temporary Electoral Commission office in the Mall where the results in Central Australia were being declared.
Mrs Lambley was not there, and neither were most of the other people invited by the commission with the exception of Mr Ryan’s wife, Joanne, their daughter Lisa-Marie, her husband Josh Burgoyne (at right) who unseated ex-front bencher Dale Wakefield in Braitling, and Tony Willis, the bottom scorer in Namatjira.
This crowd of five was told that more than half the electors cast early votes and participation in the bush was dismally low, for example, just 56% in Gwoja.
In Central Australia the results in Araluen, Braitling, Barkly and Namatjira were decided on preferences. Only Chansey Paech, in Gwoja, had an outright victory (more than half of the votes cast).
Just for interest, below are the primary votes, before preferences were allocated. However, these changed the result only in Araluen.
ARALUEN: Damien Ryan (CLP) 1659; Robyn Lambley (TA) 1276; Jackson Ankers (ALP) 789; Bernard Hickey (Greens) 455; Domenico Pecorari (FP) 114; Wayne Wright (Ind) 71. Winner Lambley.
BARKLY: Steve Edington (CLP) 1431; Sid Vashist (ALP) 1238; Gadrian Hoosan (Ind) 663; Daniel Mulholland (IND) 109. Winner Edington.
BRAITLING: Joshua Burgoyne (CLP) 1548; Dale Wakefield (ALP) 993; Kim Hopper (Ind) 648; Dale McIver (TA) 488; Chris Tomlins (Greens) 379; Scott McConnell (Ind) 199; Marli Banks (FP) 140. Scott McConnell (Ind) 199; Winner Burgoyne.
GWOJA: Chansey Paech (ALP) 1612; Phillip Alice (CL) 702; Kenny Lechleitner (FP) 344. Winner Paech – no preferences allocated.
NAMATJIRA: Bill Yan (CLP) 1066; Sheralee Taylor (ALP) 977; Matt Paterson (TA) 809; Catherine Satour (FP) 344; Nikki McCoy (Greens) 279; Tony Willis (Ind) 131. Winner Yan.
UPDATE September 8, 2020 at 1.20am
The Town Council has announced that along with Damien Ryan, Catherine Satour, Marli Banks and Matt Paterson “have made contact to be re-instated to Council and this has been approved by the CEO”.
I guess it is more cost effective and sensible to reinstate Damien Ryan, Catherine Satour, Marli Banks and Matt Paterson than to hold another election to replace these councillors.
Good on the CEO for saving rate payers money.
I only hope the councillors now focus their time on representing the community and not on their own political agendas.
The epitome of democracy and adultery!
@ Surprised: For clarification, the adultery is in reference to an earlier post where I compare this practice to someone who has left their wife for a younger model, only to find out that it didn’t work out, then wanting to return to their wife.
@ Surprised: Haha, could you ever trust them again, that is the question. I for one don’t.
They lost me. Trying to rush that vote to get two others who never ran in the most recent election was a shocking move, although they dismissed it, it was still a stab in the back. Ill know whom not to vote for next time.