2004 Sydney City Council election explained

Country:	Sydney
Election Date:	27 March 2004
Next Election:	2008 Sydney City Council election
Next Year:	2008
Type:	parliamentary
Ongoing:	no
Candidate1:	Clover Moore
Party1:	Team Clover
Colour1:	008080
Candidate2:	Michael Lee
Party2:	Australian Labor Party (New South Wales Branch)
Candidate3:	Shayne Mallard
Party3:	Liberal Party of Australia (New South Wales Division)
Candidate4:	Chris Harris
Party4:	The Greens NSW
Candidate5:	John Fowler
Party5:	Sydney Inds
Colour5:	4BB8B3
Image6:	IND
Candidate6:	Peter Collins
Lord Mayor
Posttitle:	Subsequent Lord Mayor
Before Election:	Lucy Turnbull
Before Party:	Living Sydney
After Election:	Clover Moore
After Party:	Team Clover
Module:	Embed: yes Election Name: Councillors Ongoing: no Seats For Election: All 10 seats on the City Council (including the lord mayor) Majority Seats: 5 Party1: Team Moore Colour1: 008080 Leader1: Clover Moore Seats1: 5 Last Election1: 0 Party2: Australian Labor Party (New South Wales Branch) Leader2: Michael Lee Seats2: 3 Party3: Liberal Party of Australia (New South Wales Division) Leader3: Shayne Mallard Seats3: 1 Last Election3: 0 Party4: The Greens NSW Leader4: Chris Harris Seats4: 1 Last Election4: 0

The 2004 Sydney City Council election was held on 27 March 2004 to elect nine councillors and a lord mayor to the City of Sydney. The election was held as part of the statewide local government elections in New South Wales, Australia.^{[1] [2]}

The election followed the amalgamation of Sydney with the neighbouring City of South Sydney. Independent MP Clover Moore was elected lord mayor, becoming the first popularly elected female Lord Mayor of Sydney.^{[3] [4]}

Background

In 2002, parts of the City of South Sydney and Leichhardt were proposed to be merged with the City of Sydney. In 2003, Potts Point, Elizabeth Bay, Kings Cross, Darlinghurst, Chippendale, Ultimo and parts of Rushcutters Bay, Camperdown and Darlington were transferred from South Sydney to the City of Sydney. As the financial viability of the residual City of South Sydney was under threat as a result, the City of Sydney and the City of South Sydney were combined by proclamation on 6 February 2004.^[5] The 2003 merger was perceived as an attempt to bring more working class Labor Party voters into the City of Sydney.^{[6] [7]}

Candidates

A total of 67 candidates stood for election, including 14 lord mayoral candidates.^[8]

Lord mayoral candidates are listed in the order they appeared on the ballot:^[9]

Party		Candidate	Background
		Shayne Mallard	Former South Sydney councillor
		Spencer Wu	Former Ashfield councillor who ran in the 1999 state election as leader of the Voice of the People Party^[10]
		Dixie Coulton	Sydney councillor
		Peter Collins	Former Leader of the Opposition of New South Wales^[11]
		Susan Price	Unionist^[12]
		Phillip Daley
		Chris Harris
		John Fowler	Former South Sydney mayor^[13]
		Tony Spanos	Ferrymaster^[14]
			Former federal MP
		Beverly Baker	Former NSW Parents and Citizens Association president^[15]
		Clover Moore	Independent MP for Bligh^[16]
		Ormond McDermott
		Matt Laffan	Lawyer and disability advocate^[17]

Team Clover

On 24 February 2004, independent MP Clover Moore announced she would run for lord mayor, labelling the council's sacking a "cynical grab for power." Despite her ideological differences with Turnbull, she also sharply denounced the sacking of a democratically elected mayor.^[18]

Moore formed the Clover Moore Independent team, which included six other candidates.^[19]

Labor

Former federal MP Michael Lee contested as Labor's lord mayoral candidate. He officially announced his candidacy on 3 March 2004.^[20]

Liberal

Former South Sydney councillor Shayne Mallard contested the election as the first-ever endorsed Liberal Party lord mayoral candidate.^[21]

Others

The Greens contested the lord mayoralty for the first time, with Chris Harris as their candidate.^[22] The Australian Democrats and Socialist Alliance both endorsed candidates.^{[23] [24]}

Incumbent Sydney councillor Dixie Coulton, a former Living Sydney and Sydney Independents member, was one of six independent candidates.^{[25] [26]}

Notes and References

1. Web site: Local Government Areas . New South Wales Electoral Commission . 27 March 2004.
2. Web site: Local Government Mayoral Election Results . New South Wales Electoral Commission . 27 March 2004.
3. Web site: Clover, the maverick mayor . Sydney Morning Herald . 17 September 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240822024802/https://www.smh.com.au/national/clover-the-maverick-mayor-20040328-gdimhe.html . 22 August 2024 . 28 March 2004.
4. Web site: 2004 Elections Detailed results . New South Wales Electoral Commission.
5. Web site: Records of Councils Absorbed by Sydney City Council . . 28 April 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090429125300/http://cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/AboutSydney/HistoryandArchives/Archives/InformationLeaflets/RecordsOfCouncilsAbsorbedBySydneyCityCouncil.asp . 29 April 2009 .
6. http://www.cpa.org.au/garchve04/1177clover.html The Guardian
7. O'Rourke, C. Costly loss for South Sydney as court rules on council turf war, Sydney Morning Herald, 21 August 2001.
8. Web site: Ted Mack defends Moore over mayoral salary . Sydney Morning Herald.
9. Web site: Sydney Council . New South Wales Electoral Commission.
10. Web site: Electoral Matters: Ashfield Council . Parliament of Australia . 7 March 2001.
11. Web site: Libs unhappy with former leader's council tactics . ABC News . https://web.archive.org/web/20161027203853/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2004-03-26/libs-unhappy-with-former-leaders-council-tactics/158766 . 27 October 2016.
12. Web site: A preliminary observation on the NSW local government elections . marxist.org . https://web.archive.org/web/20231217010313/https://www.marxists.org/archive/gould/2004/20040329.htm . 17 December 2023 . 29 March 2004.
13. Web site: They all want a piece of this . Sydney Morning Herald . https://web.archive.org/web/20240405051530/https://www.smh.com.au/national/they-all-want-a-piece-of-this-20040325-gdilov.html . 5 April 2024.
14. Web site: Hawke's water hazard . Sydney Morning Herald.
15. Web site: Ted Mack defends Moore over mayoral salary . Sydney Morning Herald . https://web.archive.org/web/20240405080746/https://www.smh.com.au/national/ted-mack-defends-moore-over-mayoral-salary-20040227-gdifnc.html . 5 April 2024 . 27 February 2004.
16. News: Graeme . Webber . Ambler . Emma . Independent MP is Sydney mayor . . 28 February 2004 . 11 September 2007.
17. Web site: 'Inspirational' disability activist Matt Laffan dies . ABC News . 2 March 2009.
18. News: Clover Moore tips the odds . . 25 February 2004 . 11 September 2007 .
19. News: Graeme . Webber . Ambler . Emma . Independent MP is Sydney mayor . . 28 February 2004 . 11 September 2007.
20. Web site: Former ALP Federal Minister Michael Lee launched his campaign for the Lord Mayorship of Sydney at the Redfern Town Hall on 3 March 2004. . Nine Publishing.
21. Web site: Cars must park underground, says Liberal mayoral hopeful . Sydney Morning Herald.
22. Web site: AAP. Greens announce first ever Lord Mayor nominee for Sydney. 14 February 2004. 2008-06-20.
23. Web site: Inside party's plot to destroy Clover . Sydney Morning Herald.
24. Web site: A preliminary observation on the NSW local government elections . marxist.org . https://web.archive.org/web/20231217010313/https://www.marxists.org/archive/gould/2004/20040329.htm . 17 December 2023 . 29 March 2004.
25. Web site: Now Deputy Dixie pulls the mayor's chains . https://web.archive.org/web/20240405075546/https://www.smh.com.au/national/now-deputy-dixie-pulls-the-mayors-chains-20030915-gdhe3k.html . 5 April 2024 . 15 September 2003.
26. Web site: Dixie Coulton latest: she's still Living . Sydney Morning Herald . https://web.archive.org/web/20240405080500/https://www.smh.com.au/opinion/dixie-coulton-latest-shes-still-living-20031226-gdi1qy.html . 5 April 2024.