Crikey looks at Clover Moore's first 18 months

Crikey.com.au discusses Clover Moore's first 18 months...and picks up the little noted fact that she has managed to unite against her 5 quite different Councillors in the ballot for Deputy Lord Mayor and Committee Chairs. Something it took Labor 11 years to do at the former South Sydney City Council. I have just returned from attending the Council's powerful Traffic Committee - one of the committee chairs that Clover Moore seized control of last week rather than risk a non- Moore Councillor winning the chair position by luck of a draw from a hat. I must report that the Lord Mayor (chair of ten council committees) failed to show to chair today's Traffic Committee and offered no excuse or apology to the Police, RTA, Sydney Buses, community reps, Councillors and staff who sat waiting patiently for their newly elected chair to arrive. Finally defeated former Deputy Lord Mayor John McInerney arrived to take her place without explanation. Not a good start to her new self appointed responsibilities.

What kind of Lord Mayor is Clover Moore?
Christian Kerr writes:
Clover Moore, the Lord Mayor of Australia's premier city, has been getting a lot of press lately. As the independent Member for the state seat of Bligh, Moore built a good reputation among inner-city residents for fighting for their interests. While she usually wasn't able to influence outcomes, she was always able to say “I stood up for you.”Now, wearing two hats, things are different. The Sydney Morning Herald ran a detailed piece on how her shortcomings are quickly becoming apparent over the weekend.The picture which emerges is of a person who isn't a good leader. The skills she had as the lonely MP fighting Macquarie Street or Town Hall don't serve her well as Lord Mayor. The fact that she has been able to unite the Liberals, Greens and Labor Councillors in opposition to her after only 18 months in office tells a very negative story of her leadership abilities.Moore is seen as egocentric, always wanting to be in the limelight with even councillors on her own team constantly sidelined. She cops flak for taking credit for the initiatives of others. There are many examples of this – like Labor's push to establish a Gay and Lesbian Liaison Officer and a successful Greens motion to limit the use of plastic bags in the City. Moore even takes credit for the work councillors on her team do. Marcelle Hoff fought for years to save the Water Police site in Pyrmont from developers for public space. But now it is Moore who is trumpeted as the saviour of the site although she did no work in this campaign.After Moore was able to unite Labor, Greens and Liberals last week, she was in danger of losing control of Council committees and her own power. Suddenly Moore used a procedural rule to seize the chair of all seven Council committees. After being criticised for wanting two jobs, Member of Parliament and mayor, she now has ten.Is that good for accountability?