Labor The Loser In Council Polls

Illawarra Mercury

Monday September 15, 2008

By ALEX ARNOLD

STRONG wind gusts swept through the Berry polling station shortly before midday on Saturday, knocking over election signs and sending volunteers scurrying after wayward brochures.

An onlooker quipped these were the winds of change, but it wasn't until 7.30pm when it become clear what the change was.

As early results started filtering through it was evident that Shoalhaven mayor Greg Watson's bid for a record sixth term was in trouble.

The vote for 42-year-old deputy mayor Paul Green, a youth pastor and father of six, was consistently strong across all booths.

By the time election night counting finished in the early hours of the morning, Cr Green had polled 32 per cent of the primary vote, compared to Cr Watson's 25 per cent and the Shoalhaven Action Campaign's John Fergusson's 15 per cent.

Yesterday, with more than 43,000 votes counted, Cr Green was yet to claim victory or Cr Watson concede defeat, but the chance of preferences and an estimated 10,000 pre-poll and postal votes tilting the overall vote back in Cr Watson's favour appeared slim.

Cr Green said although indications were "very promising" he would wait until formal results were declared before claiming victory.

Cr Green said while not downplaying the achievements of other candidates, Saturday's results came at the "right time for the city".

Cr Watson's Shoalhaven Independent Group took a massive hit, with at least four of the party's sitting councillors likely to lose their seats.

While the final make-up of the council will not be known until Tuesday, early indications are there will be at least eight new faces on the council.

During the campaign it appeared that Cr Green's message may have been lost in the sparring between the Shoalhaven Independent Group and the Shoalhaven Action Campaign.

However, Cr Green, a former nurse, said he wanted to run a "positive campaign" and express a long-term vision for the Shoalhaven and ways of meeting challenges the region will face.

"I'm not going to try and change the world," Cr Green said.

"Just learn the ropes and become a very good mayor, value people and grow the city."

Cr Watson, who was first elected in 1974, described the election campaign as the dirtiest he had ever experienced, much dirtier than in 2004 when he made a similar claim.

While conceding his chances of remaining in office were not looking good, he declared: "I'm still in office until the poll is declared."

© 2008 Illawarra Mercury

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