On 16 March, the countback concluded in the announcement that Shaun Minehan, independent, was successful. Minehan unexpectedly turned down the position however, due to a moving out of the locality. This lead to a second countback on 21 March that resulted in the success of Monica Harte, who accepted the position swiftly.
Harte has a long history of activism. She has fought for the preservation and improvement of public transport, for housing rights and for workers’ rights in the transport union. Harte ran for the November 2020 election as a candidate for the Sue Bolton Socialist Alliance Party.
This marks a significant shift in the [name pending] Council’s political composition, skewing it to the left. Unfortunately, Harte’s time on the Council may be limited with a VCAT hearing on foot deciding whether to order a re-election in the entire ward. This means that Harte may need to make a big splash if she wants to hold her spot in the North-West Ward.
By SAS & BB
The Coburg Meddler 