Former Labor lord mayor Jim Soorley has suggested his party could strike a partnership with the Greens at Brisbane City Council ahead of next month’s local government election.
The party stalwart, who led Brisbane for more than a decade, was among those at a rally on the weekend where Labor launched its campaign to take control of City Hall.
Speaking to ABC Radio Brisbane, Mr Soorley pointed out he was elected to the lord mayoralty in 1991 because of preferences.
“[Former mayoral candidate] Drew Hutton, who was a great person and a strong Green, he supported my mayoralty with preferences,” Mr Soorley said.
“So I think there can be partnerships between the Greens and Labor.
“They [the Greens] are certainly a threat to some of our seats now, but they are a bigger threat to the LNP.
“I think the Greens and Labor, if they can get a majority, will work together.”
Labor’s lord mayoral candidate Tracey Price is squaring off against LNP incumbent Adrian Schrinner, who has held the job since 2019, as well as Greens’ candidate Jonathan Sriranganathan.
During the campaign, the LNP has repeatedly accused Labor of being in a coalition with the Greens — something the party has denied.
Mr Soorley backed Ms Price as an “excellent chance” at the upcoming election but he acknowledged it was tough to beat an incumbent office holder.
“She’s got her own charisma, she’s got her own vision, and she’s certainly got hard work, which I guess our team did in ’91. She deserves to win,” he said.
“I think Tracey will do very well and I think she will be the next lord mayor.”
‘No deals have been done’
In response to Mr Soorley’s comments about the Greens, Ms Price said the former lord mayor was not an official spokesperson for the campaign.
“No deals have been done with the Greens. I intend to lead a majority Labor council after March 16,” she said.
“I appreciate what Jim has done historically for our party and for the city, but his comments yesterday are simply not true. I don’t believe that the Greens are a threat to Labor councillors.”
The last time Labor won a lord mayoral election in Brisbane was in 2000 when Mr Soorley was elected to his final term in office.
Over the weekend, council opposition leader Jared Cassidy said Labor wanted to form a majority Labor administration.
“We are running 26 candidates across 26 wards, and we are asking people to vote Labor,” he said.
“The only way you will see change in Brisbane is by electing a Labor majority in council and that is what we are campaigning for between now and March 16.”
Asked if Labor would form a majority with the Greens, Mr Cassidy reiterated the party was running for a majority in its own right, but added that he did not have a crystal ball and was not a soothsayer.
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