Clover Moore has claimed her sixth term as lord mayor for the City of Sydney. Her historic win on Saturday was the “toughest” of her career — a campaign that included “pretty awful things said by some people,” according to the 78-year old.
“I am so encouraged about the city and community for endorsing me for (another) four more years as lord mayor,” she said after her win, adding, “notwithstanding all the misinformation, all the awful things that happened on this campaign.”
“What a campaign it has been – I think the toughest campaign I’ve ever had. There was a really concerted campaign to try and get rid of me.”
“There was a sense of real desperation about trying to get me out of Town Hall,” Moore said during her speech on Saturday night.
“That was expressed in the candidates’ forums, which I think were pretty nasty. No one really talked about fresh ideas or new policy, they were just attacking me. It was a pretty weird campaign, actually.”
The long-standing independent retains her title as the longest serving lord mayor of Sydney, having served since 2004.
According to some reports, Moore said she will unlikely run for another term. “I don’t think there will be,” she said. “I’ve just won this one, so let me enjoy it.”
A total of ten candidates were listed on the mayoral ballot on Saturday, including Greens Sylvie Ellsmore, Socialist Alliance Rachel Evans and City of Sydney councillor and Wiradjuri woman, Yvonne Weldon.
During Saturday’s local government elections, a volunteer working for Moore’s campaign was caught allegedly removing Weldon’s corflutes outside the National Centre for Indigenous Excellence in Redfern.
Weldon posted a video on Instagram taken by one of her staffers, showing a Moore supporter taking down Weldon’s corflutes to make way for Moore’s.
“A hugely disappointing way to start election day, finding volunteers from Clover Moore’s team removing our corflutes to make way for enormous banners in the heart of Redfern at the National Centre for Indigenous Excellence,” Weldon wrote on Instagram.
“We understand this is an important day for all candidates, but this type of behaviour is unacceptable and unfair, but unfortunately it’s what we have come to expect, and emblematic of why we need change.”
Moore apologised in the comments section, saying: “Sorry, this absolutely should not have happened. I’m told the volunteer was instructed to rectify and replace immediately.”
Weldon later told Guardian Australia the action was “so disappointing.”
“We are an independent and community-led campaign,” she said. “Our volunteers have worked so hard to get our message out.
“This type of behaviour is unacceptable and unfair, but unfortunately it’s what we have come to expect. It’s emblematic of why we need change.”
After Saturday’s election, Weldon thanked her supporters on social media, writing: “To every single person who handed out a pamphlet, shared a smile, a handshake, a yarn – thank you. Whatever the result, we are ready to represent your voices, as loudly and proudly as we can.”