Co-opt a councillor policy “seemed like a good idea at the time”

Jamie de Brenni

The acting Alice Springs Mayor and his town clerk have rejected suggestions that a plan to co-opt councillors was inappropriate or politically motivated.

The Council was to have voted tonight on a policy that would have allowed Council to co-opt replacement councillors to replace those who had resigned to contest the Territory election.

But Mayor Jamie De Brenni said the motion would be withdrawn, following the clear failure of all four councillors to win seats in the election and the likelihood they would seek to return to the Council.

Former councillors Jenny Mostran and Brendan Heenan, both members of the CLP, were nominated by Mr De Brenni as two possible replacement candidates.

Mr De Brenni told the ABC’s Stewart Brash said the names had been put forward as “examples” of people with demonstrated community input and experience to replace councillors who had resigned to contest the election, and rejected any political overtones.

He said the policy had been developed to ensure there were suitable quorums when it came to voting on motions and was not about replacement. He said the policy would enable Council to avoid costly by-elections after the resignation of councillors in between Council elections.

Town Clerk Robert Jennings told the ABC the policy had been discussed when it was not clear who would be re-elected or not. He said the policy was based on the concept of good governance, but said the policy “now doesn’t make as much sense as it dd” and it was likely it would be withdrawn.

Matt Patterson, one of the Councillors who had resigned to contest the election, said he had been ‘very surprised’ to hear about the motion last week, when it was obvious he had no chance of being elected to the NT legislative Assembly. He intends to return to the Council.

Marli Banks, who had resigned to fight the election and will now also return to Council, said the policy had looked from the outside like “a grab for power”.

Meanwhile Damien Ryan, who resigned as mayor to contest the seat of Araluen, was nine votes behind sitting member Robyn Lambley in the vote. Final results will be announced next Monday.