Big guns support Div 1 battle While most residents haven’t yet engaged with who’s who in the lead up to the council election on March 16, over in Division 1 it is the battle between two Labor Party members and a former young LNP member which could prove more fascinating than the contest for mayor.
Two previously unsuccessful candidates are having a second go. In 2020 Simon Ingram ran third and close behind was Pye Augustine. In 2024 Sheila Ireland is vacating to have a tilt for mayor. With two councillors elected to each division you have to assume, based on past performance, Ingram or Augustine will fill the vacancy left by Ireland. Both are again campaigning hard. The other Division 1 councillor and Labour Party member Jacob Madsen is yet to confirm he is running again but strong rumours suggest he is and likely be re-elected.
Will Madsen repeat his support for Augustine on his how to vote card as he did in 2020? State government minister Leeanne Enoch is booked to attend the campaign launch for Augustine early next month.
Newcomer Josh Addison is also campaigning for a spot in the division and recently had a couple of publicity wins by getting himself on TV news. Elections can also bring out the worst in some constituents. Since the advent of social media the standard of public debate has sunk to all-time lows. In the lead up to any election our community can do without the usual riff-raff who are attracted to social media and take enjoyment from posting cheap shots at current councillors and candidates, don’t have anything meaningful to contribute to the debate and in most cases, don’t have the guts to run themselves or they remain anonymous.
Often they are motivated by a single issue which may have affected them directly years ago or they are just plain rude and reduce arguments to name calling. The city deserves a better discourse to encourage high quality candidates to come forward.
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