Since 2020 there's been a new name, electoral fraud allegations and a second socialist elected − what next for Merri-bek?
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Merri-bek is a key LGA to watch at the 2024 Victorian local elections. Known as Moreland until September 2022, it is currently comprised of a mix of Greens, Labor, Socialist Alliance and independent councillors.
2020 election
At the 2020 Moreland City Council election, four independents were elected along with four Greens, two Labor and one member of the Sue Bolton Moreland Team (SBMT), the name that Socialist Alliance (SA) members ran under.
Elected councillors
North-East | North-West | South |
Annalivia Hannan (ALP) | Oscar Yildiz (IND) | Lambros Tapinos (ALP) |
Adam Pulford (GRN) | Helen Davidson (IND) | Mark Riley (GRN) |
Sue Bolton (SBMT/SA) | Angelica Panopoulos (GRN) | James Conlan (GRN) |
Helen Pavlidis-Mihalakos (IND) | Milad El-Halabi (ALP) |
Electoral fraud allegations
In February 2022, Labor councillor Milad El-Halabi (North-West Ward) was charged by police with conspiracy to cheat and defraud for allegedly tampering with the election in his ward. He was suspended as a Labor member, making him Independent Labor, before resigning soon after.
The following month, Monica Harte (SBMT/SA) was elected via countback, giving Socialist Alliance a second Moreland representative.
In 2023, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) found that El-Halabi was unduly elected. However, it is crucial to note that it was also found that the election of the three other councillors in North-West Ward was not affected by the inclusion of fraudulent ballots in the count.
Defections
The most significant party change since 2020 was in February 2023, when James Conlan resigned from the Greens to sit as an independent. Conlan resigned in support of senator Lidia Thorpe, who had quit the party the day prior.
Ward changes
Like many other councils, Merri-bek is affected by the Local Government Act 2020, which has removed multi-member wards and replaced them with single-member wards across metropolitan Melbourne (excluding the City of Melbourne LGA).
Currently, there are two four-member wards and one three-member ward. All three of those have been abolished. Moreland had 10 single-member wards from 1996 until 2004.
Two former wards − Box Forest and Westbreen − have been re-established, while the remaining nine are brand new:
Bababi Djinanang
Brunswick West
Bulleke-bek
Djirri-Djirri
Harmony Park
Pascoe Vale South
Pentridge
Randazzo
Warrk-Warrk
Candidates
Asterisks (*) indicate an incumbent councillor, even if they are not contesting their current ward. Candidates are listed in no particular order.
Bababi Djinanang Ward
TBA (Greens)
Sue Bolton (Socialist Alliance)*
Hussein Gule (Labor)
Lynton Joseph (Independent)
Box Forest Ward
Metin Golbasi (Greens)
Chris Miles (Labor)
Baris Duzova (Independent)
Mohamad Elmustapha (Independent)
Lou Tenance (Independent)
Brunswick West Ward
Ella Svensson (Greens)
Lambros Tapinos (Labor)*
Anneke Demanuele (Victorian Socialists)
Kathleen Browne (Independent)
Bulleke-bek Ward
Jay Iwasaki (Greens)
Helen Breier (Labor)
Louisa Bassini (Victorian Socialists)
Owen Miller (Fusion)
Djirri-Djirri Ward
Angelica Panopoulos (Greens)*
Praveen Kumar (Labor)
Helen Davidson (Independent)*
Wickrama Koddippuli Arachchige (Victorian Socialists)
Harmony Park Ward
Angelica Panopoulos (Greens)*
Helen Politis (Labor)
Jason Clarke (Independent)
Jordan Armaou-Massoud (Socialist Alliance)
Pascoe Vale South Ward
JR Hewitt (Greens)
Corey Perkins (Labor)
Oscar Yildiz (Independent)*
WITHDRAWN: Hash Tayeh (Independent)
Pentridge Ward
Kenna Morrison (Greens)
Suzan Saka (Labor)
Natalie Abboud (Independent)
Daniel De Lorenzis (Independent)
Jasmine Duff (Victorian Socialists)
Jacob Andrewartha (Socialist Alliance)
Randazzo Ward
Liz Irvin (Greens)
Tom Nash (Labor)
Kosta Rologas (Victorian Socialists)
Voula Allimonos (Independent)
Felix Dance (Socialist Alliance)
Warrk-Warrk Ward
Adam Pulford (Greens)*
Jenne Perlstein (Labor)
TBA (Independent)
Westbreen Ward
Chloe Holmes (Greens)
Katerine Theodosis (Labor)
Helen Pavlidis (Independent)*
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