Michael Harbison re-elected as Lord Mayor

[keepadelaidealive]

Hey guys,

My partner just got back from the vote counting for the council elections and Michael Harbison has been re-elected as Lord Mayor. It was close though, only a handful of votes between him and Francene Connor after preferences.

They are doing the Area Councilor count now, and I'm in the running but, like the Lord Mayor vote, will come down to preferences.

I'll keep you posted.

David

[Will]

This is good, yet surprising news. I thought that the anti-progress residents associations would hijack the vote and defeat Harbo. It is good to see that negativity was once again defeated, with Harbo's re-election. This is a good indication that the silent majority, the people who want Adelaide to become an exciting, cosmopolitan city have prevailed over the vocal minority who want to turn Adelaide into a sleepy, peaceful, nostalgia village.

[keepadelaidealive]

Most Arnie and Jeffrey preferences flowed to Francene Connor, which is why it was so close.

[Howie]

Thanks for the lord mayor round up David. That's fantastic news for Michael!

[rogue]

Congrats Harbo. Continue the good work...

[Pants]

Congratulations Harbo! No doubt closer than you would have liked, but it doesn't really matter how you get there.

Good luck with keeping Adelaide going in the right direction, let's hope your vision of a smart, vibrant city, respectful of its past but with an eye on the future becomes a reality in this term.

[Howie]

Harbison hangs on
Article from: Sunday Mail (SA)
DAVID NANKERVIS

October 20, 2007 06:35pm

"PHEW". That was the expression Michael Harbison used to greet the announcement he had been returned as Adelaide Lord Mayor in a cliffhanger election.
The expression of relief was probably matched by Premier Mike Rann, given second-placed candidate Francene Connor's opposition to the State Government's proposed Victoria Park grandstand plans.

Mr Harbison won by just 127 votes – 2884 to Ms Connor's 2757 – after the distribution of preferences from the other unsuccessful candidates, Jeffrey Wheare and Arnie Rossis.

Mr Harbison's knife-edge victory was the closest result in a lord mayoral election in decades.

It was almost half the winning margin of the last narrow result when current State Government minister Dr Jane Lomax-Smith defeated Alfred Huang by 242 votes in 1997.

Mr Harbison put the tight contest – which saw his primary vote fall from 3452 in May, 2003 – down to tough opposition.

"Today's count was an agonising process," the 54-year-old Lord Mayor said. "There is no doubt my opponents put up a good fight and the election was also close because (the voluntary) voter turnout was down by about 2000 this year."

The future of Victoria Park racecourse in the East Parklands was a crucial issue for voters, Mr Harbison said. "The major difference between the candidates was I'm prepared to work with the Government over development of Victoria Park while the others were stridently opposed to it," he said.

"At the end of the day the State Government has the power to do whatever it wants with the redevelopment but the Council will be at the table with the Government to work out a solution to the Victoria Park issue."

Ms Connor said Mr Harbison should be mindful "more people voted against him than for him".

Premier Mike Rann congratulated Mr Harbison on his re-election and said he was looking forward to working with him for another three years.

I hope we made the difference here.

Still waiting to hear back from David Campbell.. hope he did alright.

[Howie]

Members elected to council ...

Anne Moran, Richard Hayward, Sue Clearihan, Michael Henningsen, Joe Cullen, Bill Zaharis, Steve Yarwood, Sandy Wilkinson, Francis Wong, David Plumridge and former State Labor MP Ralph Clarke.

[keepadelaidealive]

Hey guys, just got home. Thanks for all your support during those whole thing. I literally missed out by a whisker, and, as the youngest candidate, was knocked off by the oldest, David Plumbridge in the final preference distribution.

It's an interesting mix for the new council - a lot of pro-heritige characters in there again lead by a progressive Lord Mayor. Let's see how things go for Adelaide over the next few years!

David

[Howie]

hmmm.. was really hoping you'd get a go.. sorry to hear you didn't get in mate. It would've been nice to have some young blood in there. You going to try again at the next election David?

[keepadelaidealive]

Almost certainly. The fact that, amongst some very high profile candidates in the area ward, I made it all the way through to the very end tells me that there is a part of Adelaide that is trying to break out of its country town mentality.

But I am very happy that Michael Harbison has retained his role. He is a terrific Lord Mayor.

[Harbo]

Hi Folks, thanks for all your support.
Cambo, Sorry you didnt make it. Some good campaign elements though, well done.
My shortcoming was that I ran a minimalist campaign when up against a serious local issue in a voluntary election. A very risky strategy,
I wont do that again. Still, a win is a win.
Cambo, I hope that you have inspired others and that you will have another go yourself.
A difficulty is that all the stuff people tell you about what you have to do is hard to synthesise if you havent really experienced the process before.
Its like the advertising business, some people think that if you just dump the advertising out there people will magically buy your product. Of course that doesnt work, it is much more complex. Still there is much to talk about. I would be happy to talk to any one who is thinking about doing something for the future.
Meanwhile I have a city to create, assistance from all of you will help a lot, so please keep promoting the good thingslike the Rundle convergence, the Trams, the green buildings etc.
Time I went to bed, its been a busy day.
Love to all.
M

[Bulldozer]

Congratulations Harbo and commisserations to David - I'm sure that if we were all eligible to vote in the election we would have given our vote to you.

I just read the Sunday Mail's editorial and it sure is a hatchet job! That idiot should be attacking the people that reside within the ACC boundaries for their apathy towards voting, but of course that wouldn't sell as many papers, would it?

Nonethless, it really seems that in the last year things are really starting to happen around the square mile and I don't think that council should have anything to worry about. The trams and the Rundle Lantern thing are iconic projects and when completed will really have a positive effect on the conciousness of all people in Adelaide. Now let's lift those farcical height restrictions!

[Paulns]

Well done again Harbo!!!
Heres hopin things continue to skyrocket in in Adelaide. I for one are lovin all this growth, lets just hope it continues and we see something in the city thats really going to put this Adelaide and State on the map?????

Bad luck David, wish those of us that dont live in the city could have voted to get you across the line!!! Anyway mate lets continue the fight, in a few years time who knows, a lotta things could change??

Good luck and all the best in the future, for you both, Paul.

[keepadelaidealive]

Just did an interview with ABC for tonights news. Keep your eyes out guys.