BRUCE DRAFTS DANGER
CAT AIMING TO KICK GOALS IN COUNCIL ELECTION
CATS superstar Patrick Dangerfield has thrown his weight behind a former mayor’s political campaign to return to CIty Hall. The Brownlow winner, who is married to former mayor Bruce Harwood’s daughter Mardi, said he would be campaigning hard for his father-in-law. Asked by the Addy about Mr Harwood’s campaign, Dangerfield said: “I’ve actually been applying stickers to envelopes all this morning and all yesterday afternoon.” “I will be campaigning hard.” Mr Harwood, who had two terms as mayor, four stints as deputy mayor and was part of last year’s sacked council, said the support of family had motivated him to run again. His campaign priorities include a convention centre for the city.
FORMER mayor Bruce Harwood has got some highend help as he plots a path back to City Hall.
His son-in-law, Cats star Patrick Dangerfield, knows all about attracting votes and has been lending his support to the election campaign.
“I’ve actually been applying stickers to envelopes all this morning and all yesterday afternoon,” Dangerfield said on Thursday.
“I will be campaigning hard.” Mr Harwood did not know if he was keen to return to the fold after councillors were sacked in April last year.
While some former councillors, like Highton library advocate Ron Nelson, have been closely engaged with the goings-on at City Hall, Mr Harwood stepped away from civic life.
“I have enjoyed my 18 month break, I really haven’t followed it too closely,” he said of the administrators’ truncated term.
The company director and former police officer said he consulted widely with trusted confidantes before announcing his candidacy for Kardinia Ward last month.
“It was very much a decision made after quite a lot of conversations with a number of people,” Mr Harwood.
“I also had a chat to my family and the support was there.”
The independent candidate, who was deputy mayor under Darryn Lyons when the curtain came crashing down, said he harboured no leadership ambitions.
“No, it is not on my list of things to do,” he said yesterday.
“With the new system, it is really up to the councillors of the day to have those discussions.”
But with two terms of mayor, four stints as deputy mayor and 13 years of council experience, he looms as the most credentialed candidate to serve as the councillor-elected leader.
While stating there were pros and cons with both mayoral models, Mr Harwood said the return to an internal appointment would ensure immediate majority support for the chosen mayor.
Mr Harwood is among five sacked councillors who are attempting to win their seats back, 18 months after they were dumped by the State Parliament.
The others are Peter Murrihy (Brownbill), Ron Nelson (Kardinia), Eddy Kontelj (Brownbill) and Lindsay Ellis (Bellarine). Mr Harwood said it was difficult to determine what impact the highly publicised dismissal would have on their collective election chances.
He said the “incomplete” nature of the Commission of Inquiry, which did not specifically name transgressors, had left voters largely in the dark.
“I don’t know if anyone really knows (if it will have an effect), there hasn’t been a great amount of information or evidence come out of the inquiry.”
Whatever the result, Mr Harwood said it was an “exciting time” for the council, which would have a majority of new representatives elected at the end of the month.
Mr Harwood is standing on a multi-policy platform, which includes a push to create a bioenergy hub.
With gas and electricity prices soaring, he wants to examine the feasibility of developing a waste to energy project, potentially on council land in the Geelong Ring Road Employment Precinct.
Mr Harwood will also quickly look to progress the creation of a large green waste processing centre at Anakie, which is behind schedule.
He flagged the “utopian” vision of building a new tailored saleyards facility in Geelong, potentially in the city’s north.
“I’ve been a supporter of selling the saleyards. But the council needs to be looking for other options where stock can be traded.”
He also wants to explore future options for the historic North Geelong saleyards site, saying it had the potential to host residential, commercial, environmental and open space developments.
Increasing homeless accommodation, creating a better bus interchange that doesn’t stifle the city’s heart and progressing the convention centre proposal are also on his agenda.
“I’ve actually been applying stickers to envelopes all this morning and all yesterday afternoon. I will be campaigning hard.” PATRICK DANGERFIELD CONFIRMS HE WILL BE SUPPORTING HIS FATHER- I N- LAW AT THIS MONTH’S COUNCIL ELECTIONS