The Melbourne media have ignored the raised vote for socialists in the October 27 local government elections.
The Socialist Party’s sitting councillor Steve Jolly increased his vote from 29.2% in 2008 to 34.24% in the inner-city City of Yarra council. In other wards of Yarra Council, the Socialist Party increased its vote but did not retain its other sitting councilor, Anthony Main.
Since Jolly was elected, his vote has continued to rise. This is because he and the Socialist Party have used the council position to build campaigns in the local area.
The Socialist Alliance gained its first local council position in Victoria with Sue Bolton winning a council position in the north-east ward of Moreland Council. Bolton won 9.5% of the vote, the third highest vote out of a field of 24 candidates. Socialist Alliance intends to have an activist approach by building campaigns in the local area.
Sue Bull stood for the Socialist Alliance for Lord Mayor in Geelong. She received 10,288 votes, 8.1% of the vote. In some of the more working class booths in Corio, Bull won about 11% of the vote.
These results for the Socialist Alliance have built on strong results in the 2008 local government election when it won its highest vote in the Maribyrnong council. Candidates Stuart Martin and Margarita Windisch won 18.9% and 12.4% of the vote respectively.
Socialist Alliance also had a solid vote in local council elections in Moreland in 2008 and 2004.