BALLOT DRAWS NEW POLITICAL LINE — RYDE COUNCIL
CHARIS CHANG

Northern District Times
September 16, 2009 Wednesday
Australia

THIS year’s Ryde mayoral election has been filled with controversy but
on September 8 only two candidates stood: Labor’s Michael Butterworth
and the Liberals’ Artin Etmekdjian.

Outgoing mayor Vic Tagg, who had his own hopes of being mayor and had
been endorsed as the Liberals’ nominee, was sidelined when independent
councillors Ivan Petch, Sarkis Yedelian and Terram Perram refused to
support him.

Faced with Cr Tagg being "unelectable", the Liberals candidate became
Cr Etmekdjian.

In the vote Cr Etmekdjian was supported by his Liberal teammates Bill
Pickering and Roy Maggio and Crs Petch, Yedelian and Perram.

Cr Butterworth was supported by his Labor teammates, Crs Nicole
Campbell, Gabriel O’Donnell and Jeff Salvestro-Martin and Cr Tagg,
who had by this time resigned from the Liberal Party and become an
independent, and Cr Justin Li.

The six-all vote required caretaker general manager Michael Whittaker
to draw the new mayor’s name Cr Butterworth out of a wooden box.

There were three candidates for deputy mayor: Labor’s Cr O’Donnell,
Liberals’ Cr Maggio and outgoing deputy mayor Cr Yedelian.

Cr Yedelian was knocked out of the first round after receiving the
votes of only Crs Petch and Li.

Cr Maggio, who resisted pressure from Cr Tagg to leave the Liberals
last week, was elected with support from his Liberal teammates and
all independents except Cr Perram.

—– LABOR COUNCILLORS —–

MICHAEL BUTTERWORTH

Mayor, West Ward

First elected to council in 2004. His good working relationship with
Cr Vic Tagg helped Cr Butterworth to secure the former Liberal Cr
Tagg’s support for the mayoral vote.

NICOLE CAMPBELL

Central Ward

Has stood four times in state and federal elections as a Labor-endorsed
candidate. Increased her vote at the last council election but did not
stand for mayor last year as she was a candidate in Ryde by-election.

GABRIELLE O’DONNELL

East Ward

Has been a councillor since 1995. Was the Labor Party’s candidate
for deputy mayor but was supported only by her Labor team-mates.

JEFF SALVESTRO-MARTIN

Central Ward

Elected in 2007 with a special interest in council finances. Has a
background in corporate business.

—– LIBERAL COUNCILLORS —–

ROY MAGGIO

Deputy Mayor, East Ward

Elected in 2008, with a special interest in sports funding. Vic Tagg’s
preferences helped elect Cr Maggio and the former mayor hoped to entice
Cr Maggio away from the Liberals but Cr Maggio stuck by his team-mates.

BILL PICKERING

Central Ward

Elected in 2008 as one of the first Liberal-endorsed councillors
in Ryde. Has expressed interest in the mayor’s position but did not
stand this year.

ARTIN ETMEKDJIAN

West Ward

Elected in 2008 and was put up as the Liberal candidate for mayor this
year but lost the draw after a six-all vote. He was also supported
by independent councillors Petch, Yedelian and Perram.

—– UNALIGNED INDEPENDENT COUNCILLORS —–

VIC TAGG

East Ward

Elected as an independent in 2004, then as Liberal in 2008 and elected
mayor. Liberal Party member for about 10 years. When Crs Petch,
Yedelian and Perram refused to back him as mayor, Liberals switched
to Cr Etmekdjian, Cr Tagg then resigned from the party and voted for
a Labor mayor.

JUSTIN LI

West Ward

Was elected in 2007 and supported Vic Tagg for mayor last year and
voiced his support for his re-election. Voted for a Labor mayor,
partly in solidarity with Cr Tagg.

TERRY PERRAM

West Ward

Councillor for 22 years and a former mayor, he has traditionally
voted with Labor councillors but this year voted with the Liberals
because he did not support Cr Tagg for mayor. Has a long-standing
rivalry with Cr Petch.

—– RYDE COMMUNITY VISION INDEPENDENTS —–

IVAN PETCH

East Ward

Was elected in 1977 and has been mayor five times. Was also a former
Gladesville Liberal State MP. Has a long-standing rivalry with Cr
Tagg and refused to back him for mayor this year.

SARKIS YEDELIAN

Central Ward

First elected in 2004, he has links to the Armenian community and
would like to be Ryde’s first "multicultural mayor". Supported Cr
Tagg as mayor last year on the promise of the deputy position but
declined to back him again this year.