By CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS
IT’S no wonder that Matthew Kirwan says his election as the municipality’s first Greens councillor was an “emotional experience”.
For years, he harboured ambitions of standing for council before summoning the “confidence” to run for his first election.
Then for almost every weekend for 15 months, he traipsed his massive Red Gum Ward electorate — which spans Bangholme, Keysborough, Lyndhurst and Dandenong — determined to knock on every constituent’s door.
He achieved 85 per cent of his aim, running out of time in Dandenong South. “It’s been interesting for me. I live in Keysborough. I thought I knew it well but not as well as I thought.”
Mr Kirwan was keen to point out his first priority was social justice and tackling disadvantage. He’s a big admirer of colleague and renowned grassroots campaigner Roz Blades, and her determination to follow through the basic and the big issues.
As the only Green in the council chamber, he wants to work co-operatively with the Labor-majority council. “My objective is to raise issues and then to have a collaborative approach to my fellow councillors. “If the only thing I achieve is to be a voice for residents — and I think I can achieve more than that — I’ll be satisfied.”
Mr Kirwan had become notorious for writing up to a dozen questions in public question time at council meetings.
It visibly tested the patience of councillors and council officers but he has pledged to resist any measures to curtail public question time.
“We have council meetings that go about an hour. By extending the council meeting by 10 minutes for public question time is a positive thing.”
GREATER DANDENONG ELECTION RESULTS
LIGHTWOOD WARD
Sean O’Reilly
Youhorn Chea
Loi Truong
PAPERBARK WARD
Roz Blades
Peter Brown
Meng Heang Tak
RED GUM WARD
Jim Memeti
Matthew Kirwan
Angela Long
SILVERLEAF WARD
Maria Sampey
John Kelly
IN: O’Reilly, Tak, Kirwan
OUT: Yvonne Herring (Lightwood), Pinar Yesil (Paperbark), Paul Donovan (Red Gum)
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