UPHILL BATTLE

Experts advise mayoral hopefuls to enter race now

TIME is running out for any potential candidate hoping to topple Mayor Jenny Hill, but the situation could change “on a dime”.

With just six months to go until the council elections in March 2020, no mayoral contender is yet to publicly put their hand up, though the rumour mill of a potential pick was rife yesterday. Political experts have said any candidate would need to come with a high profile or stand no real chance against Cr Hill.

Griffith University senior political lecturer Dr Paul Williams said it was “very perilous” to leave a mayoralty run this late.

“You would think that a complete unknown has left it too late,” he said.

“However ... a pre-established identity can come in and slide over the top as it were and completely squash the opposition.”

“In Townsville, it could well be a sporting identity. That could easily happen.

“If there was someone who was even a more passionate advocate of mining, who is a sporting identity, who has a plan to build infrastructure up in Townsville, that potential is there.”

Former Queensland Parliament speaker turned QUT politics professor John Mickel said it was possible there wasn’t a “burning desire” to get rid of the Mayor though things could “turn on a dime”.

Mr Mickel said Cr Hill had emerged from difficult circumstances like the floods and an economic downturn as an “enhanced leader”.

“But things can turn on a dime, issues can come and if they’re not handled well by the incumbent then that issue can raise up pretty quickly,” he said. “People will forgive, but they will not forgive financial incompetence or corruption.

“Manifestly corrupt behaviour in the way you saw it in Ipswich, the allegations against the Mayor in Logan and the activities or charges laid against various other councillors in the southeast corner, none of those issues apply in Townsville currently.”

Townsville City Council has come under scrutiny in recent weeks for its handling of a marketing contract to a local consultancy company after the bill grew to $800,000, and for calling in Brisbane-based spinners after the floods and paying them out of disaster relief funds.

James Cook University senior politics lecturer Dr Maxine Newlands said someone would need to show their hand between now and mid-november, noting the incumbent always had the upper hand in politics.

“Someone is going to have step up fairly soon or run a massive impact campaign in the New Year,” she said.

Dr Newlands said there would be a lot to contend with coming into March 2020, with Stage 1 of the Haughton Pipeline and the North Queensland Stadium scheduled to be completed.

Cr Hill has been the Mayor since 2012, and has been in council since 1997.

Dr Williams said it would be highly unlikely that the Mayor in a place like Townsville would run unopposed.

“I don’t reckon that will happen, some concerned ratepayer will put their hand up … in which case they’ll present no real opposition to the Mayor,” he said.

“Unless they offer some sort of extremely populist take on their campaign … something that disrupts the narrative, that possibly could work.”