Vince Connelly (Stirling, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'd like to inform the House today about the local government elections for the City of Stirling in my electorate which occurred last weekend. I've got a bit of a soft spot for local government because my mother was a councillor when I was a kid, and my father ran the IT department at the same council. I was extremely pleased to see so many strong candidates stand in the election. Their passion was amplified by campaign volunteers—ordinary, hardworking Australians who sacrifice their time, their money and their energy to stand up or to support candidates who they believe in. This passion is a fundamental ingredient for a strong, vibrant democracy. For the first time, the mayor was directly elected in recognition of his ongoing ethical and professional leadership. Mayor Mark Irwin was re-elected to continue as mayor. Five councillors were re-elected—Keith Sargeant, Stephanie Proud, Karlo Perkov, David Lagan and Joe Ferrante. Three councillors were newly elected—Felicity Farrelly, Chris Hatton and Lisa Thornton; my heartfelt congratulations to them. To the unsuccessful candidates, I commend you for your dedication and I encourage you to maintain your drive to serve our awesome community, whether that sees you running again or directing your passion elsewhere. I enjoy a very close relationship with the City of Stirling and I am excited to continue working together to make Stirling an even better place to live, to work and to raise a family.