Local Labor councillors promoted

May 24, 2023

By Michael Sainsbury

Hawkesbury City Council’s two Labor members were elected to senior leadership positions in the local Australian Labor Party (ALP) branch Annual General Meeting May 22.

Chris Haviland, a member of the NSW ALP’s governing Administrative Committee, was re-elected president. Haviland served one term as the Federal Member for Macarthur, an electorate that abuts the Macquarie electorate that covers the Hawkesbury, from 1993-1996 before being disendorsed.

He has since unsuccessfully run as the ALP candidate for Bradfield on Sydney’s North Shore in the 2013 and 2019 elections.

HCC Deputy-Mayor Barry Calvert, who had previously served as branch president was elected vice-president and HCC Councillor Amanda Kotlash was elected as branch secretary.

While there are “about 100” members of the ALP in the Hawkesbury, Haviland told the Hawkesbury Post that the branch itself has “about 40 members” as not all ALP members are required to join a branch.

“The Voice to parliament will be a priority for us in coming months,” he said, along with pushing Labor policies in general.

Responding to questions about concerns on social media that Labor councillors are too often voting with the four Liberals on the council that include Mayor Sarah McMahon he said” that rubbish”.

He sheeted the blame home to a “campaign” by the Greens and as well as “some” independents on the council.

At last Wednesday’s special HCC council meeting, run by Calvert in McMahon’s absence, the Labor councillors voted with the Liberals and independent Les Sheather against a notice of motion put by independent Mary Lyons-Buckett – and amended by Greens councillor Danielle Wheeler – regarding land clearing and the protection of koalas.