Two Sydney Labor candidates
Newcastle Greens
8 October 2006
Two Sydney Labor candidates for Newcastle
The Greens candidate for Newcastle, Cr Michael Osborne, today predicted that the newly announced “independent” candidate for Newcastle, John Tate, would join the ALP if elected next March.
“Cr Tate’s record is that of a political chameleon,” Cr Osborne said.
“Newcastle voters should be aware that a vote for either Jodi Mackay or John Tate would still be a vote for ALP Sydney powerbrokers who’ve shown that they don’t give a damn what Novocastrians want - whether it’s taking away local preselections or cutting rail lines.
“The whole background to this saga, and Cr Tate’s continued favourable comments about the Iemma government – which has consistently failed Newcastle – indicate that Cr Tate would effectively become just another Sydney ALP stooge.
“The scenario is very clear to anyone who thinks about it for more than a moment,” Cr Osborne said.
“It’s common knowledge that over the past few years Cr Tate has become close to some of Labor’s Sydney powerbrokers (such as Michael Costa), and he is still emphasising how much he admires the Iemma government and how he wants to work with it. The Premier has also recently indicated his support for Cr Tate.
“It’s next to certain that if Cr Tate wins the Newcastle state seat he will (within a year or so of the election) be offered a Ministry in return for joining the ALP, and there is every indication that he would accept this.
“That way, the Mackay-Tate scenario is effectively a win-win gift for the Sydney ALP powerbrokers, who get their puppet in either way.
“This would not be Cr Tate’s first political about-face.
“When he was first elected as Lord Mayor in 1999, people voted for him on the basis of a record of standing up for the community on things like the cutting of the Newcastle rail line and inappropriate development. However, he quickly learned the art of the political back-flip, and abandoned these beliefs to curry favour with local developers and the NSW Labor government.
“Cr Tate is certainly different in one respect from Ms Mackay – while we are still awaiting a substantial policy statement from the Sydney appointed Labor candidate, we at least know some of the policies that Cr Tate has campaigned for – such as cutting the Newcastle rail line, large-scale waterfront development, and the overriding of local planning decisions by the ALP government.
“On these and other issues, Cr Tate has put the interests of developers and the Sydney ALP before the interests of Newcastle.
“Cr Tate should explain to the people of Newcastle what he has done for the ordinary people of Newcastle in his seven years as Lord Mayor that would make them want to vote for him to represent Newcastle in the NSW parliament.
“Only The Greens have consistently stood firm against Sydney imposed decisions in favour of vested interests,” Cr Osborne said.
