MUM’S COUNCIL RUN
THE mother of a whistleblower who lifted the lid on Geelong council’s bullying issues is contesting the City Hall election.
Mary Walker — whose son Russell was the former boss of Enterprise Geelong — wants to represent the southern Kardinia ward.
The long-term Grovedale resident has resolved to walk the talk after long having issues with local politics.
“I have been complaining about what is going on within council for so long,” Mrs Walker said.
She said she was “very proud” of her son, who worked to expose the organisation’s cultural issues after finishing with the council in early 2015.
She said his experiences had contributed to her decision to stand for election at October’s poll.
“It has (motivated me) to a certain extent,” she said.
“He was so upset with what was happening and what he saw.”
A lack of clarity about individual councillors’ behaviour, which was largely suppressed when the Parliament dismissed the entire council last year, also troubles Mrs Walker.
“We still don’t know who the troublemakers were, which is unfair,” she said.
“It is not only unfair to the people who will vote, but it is not fair to the ex-councillors; the innocent ones have been tarred with the same brush.”
A former˚ teacher at Clonard College, Mrs Walker has also been heavily involved in Geelong’s theatre scene.
She said her pressing priorities were crime, public safety in the CBD and the provision of more security cameras.
“I believe that local government should be able to put forward a case for more police and more CCTV,” she said.
Mrs Walker joins former councillor Ron Nelson as the only two declared candidates for the Kardinia ward.