Sydney lord mayor’s move threatens to steer independent votes away from high-profile GP and former deputy

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Licia Heath, an independent running in the Wentworth byelection, has received the high-profile backing of the independent Sydney lord mayor, Clover Moore, in a move that could lure votes away from the other high-profile independent, Kerryn Phelps.

In a statement, Moore described Heath as “the genuine progressive independent candidate for the Wentworth byelection” – a veiled swipe at Phelps, a well-known GP and marriage equality candidate, who has said she will preference the Liberals.

“I am impressed with Licia’s work in her community advocating for public education and also her work with Women for Election Australia, which provides practical support for women seeking to enter politics,” she said.

Heath also has the backing of Alex Greenwich, who is the state member for Sydney, which overlaps with the inner-city part of the federal Wentworth electorate.

Both Greenwich and Moore are renowned for having well-oiled, on-the-ground campaigns, which could splinter the independent vote in the suburbs of Paddington, Elizabeth Bay and Moore Park.

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Moore famously fell out with Phelps, her deputy on the city of Sydney council, in 2016. A number of policy disagreements, including Phelps’ public support for the licensing and registration of bike riders (which Moore had strenuously opposed) sowed the seeds of the falling out.

After a year Moore made it clear she would appoint one of the other councillors as her deputy, ending Phelps’ expectation that she would succeed Moore as the leader of the independent grouping on the council. Phelps now sits outside Moore’s independents on the council.

“Licia will be a strong advocate for action on climate change, which has been a major and ongoing failure of the current federal government,” Moore said. “She will also champion community issues such as traffic congestion and overdevelopment, which again have been ignored by governments.”

Moore highlighted issues that are important to the residents in the inner-city part of Wentworth, including the threats to Moore Park from development and possible new toll roads that have been mooted as part of the redevelopment of Allianz stadium.

Heath said she was “honoured” to have Moore’s support.

Heath, a community activist, has led a local campaign for a new comprehensive high school in the eastern suburbs. There are two selective schools in the seat, but the only comprehensive high school Rose Bay Secondary College, is groaning under the pressure of numbers.

• On 28 September 2018, this article was amended to reflect the fact that Rose Bay Secondary College is the only comprehensive high school in Wentworth.

