Leave of absence for Asher

Mayor turns focus to Libs election campaign

GEELONG Mayor Stephanie Asher has announced she will start a leave of absence from the council on Saturday, with the Liberal Party’s Corangamite candidate claiming the federal election is “just around the corner”.

And, it is understood Ms Asher has elected not to continue receiving her $100,000-a-year mayoral allowance while on leave, nor continue using her mayoral vehicle nor claim expenses.

She announced her leave of absence on Friday evening.

“Being mayor of Greater

Geelong is an immense honour and privilege, but with the federal election now just around the corner, the time is right to step aside from the role,” she said.

“From the outset, I committed to taking a leave of absence early this year, which will allow me to focus entirely on campaigning for the federal seat of Corangamite.”

Ms Asher said she was proud of her record as Geelong’s mayor, particularly for supporting infrastructure projects such as the Drysdale pool, and also for supporting the city’s sustainability and detailed climate change response plans.

She said that she had informed the city’s chief executive of her intention to take a leave of absence, as well as formally advising the council group.

Deputy Mayor Trent Sullivan, also a Liberal Party member, will assume the mayoral duties during her leave.

City of Greater Geelong chief executive Martin Cutter on Friday confirmed Ms Asher would not be paid by the city while on leave despite there being no obligation for her to forgo the mayoral allowance under the Local Government Act.

“The Act is silent on the receipt of allowances during leaves of absence,” Mr Cutter said.

“Cr Asher has advised that she is not intending to retain the mayoral allowance, claim expenses or keep the vehicle when she takes a leave of absence.”

She was preselected to be the Liberal candidate in Corio last July, entrusted to fight to regain the marginal seat after Labor’s Libby Coker snatched it from Sarah Henderson in 2019 – with Labor holding the seat by a 1.07 per cent margin.

Soon after being preselected, Ms Asher clarified conflicting statements regarding her plans for remaining on council, with an initial July 8 Liberal Party media release stating she would resign as mayor once the election was called.

The next day she issued a statement claiming she would instead “take formal leave of absence and stand aside from all duties as mayor and councillor in the lead up to the federal election”.

Ms Asher has since said she would only resign from the council if elected into parliament, and would return to her $100,434-per-year position as mayor if unsuccessful.