UPDATE
The Labor Party has endorsed former State MP Barry Collier as a candidate for the Sutherland Shire Council election.
Voters will go to the polls to elect a new council on September 10, a little over two months after they vote in the July 2 federal election.
EARLIER
Former State MP for Miranda, Barry Collier, is seeking to make another comeback to politics – this time as a candidate for Sutherland Shire Council.
Former State MP Barry Collier is seeking to make another comeback to politics – this time as a candidate for Sutherland Shire Council.
Mr Collier, 66, nominated for Labor Party preselection for B Ward, where former mayor Phil Blight has decided not to stand again.
Party officials could make a decision today.
Mr Collier was the state MP for Miranda for 12 years until his retirement at the 2011 election, which saw Labor was swept from office.
He returned to Parliament in a 2013 by-election, gaining a record swing, following the shock resignation of Liberal MP Graham Annesley.
Mr Collier retired for a second time at the 2015 election, saying he felt he had done everything he could for constituents and wanted to spend more time with his family.
‘‘Looking at the faces of my young grandchildren during a recent holiday and knowing that politics is a 24/7 commitment over four years I knew in my heart that it was time for me to retire from politics and spend more time with my wife and family,” he said.
Speaking about his council bid, Mr Collier said a councillor’s job could be very demanding, but “you are working at the grass roots and not having to spend a lot of time in at State Parliament”.
Mr Collier said many councillors worked full time jobs, as well as performing council duties.
He said younger people could also seek preselection, but he believed his experience would be valuable.
In a statement, he said he was “prompted to return to public life because of his strong objections to the ’pro-development at all costs’ attitude of the Liberals on Council and their denial of residents’ democratic right to have a real say in the future of their shire”.
“We need mature, stable and experienced leadership on the Council – but we also need transparency, accountability, common-sense and democracy to be returned to our council,” he said.
“Since their election four years ago, this Liberal-dominated council has promoted open-slather development, without any real thought being given to matching infrastructure- delivering us parking nightmares and daily traffic gridlock.
“But the Liberal Councillors have also stripped residents of their democratic right to have a say in the future of our shire for their children and grandchildren.
“They’ve changed the rules, preventing debate on major developments at council meetings, and leaving decisions to an unelected general manager who is not directly accountable to the people of the shire.”
