Former MP Kerryn Phelps will challenge political rival Clover Moore in an attempt to become Sydney's Lord Mayor in this year's September election.
Key points:
- Clover Moore has been Sydney's Lord Mayor for 17 years
- Kerryn Phelps has flagged improving infrastructure as part of her pitch for the position
- Dr Phelps served as Ms Moore's deputy in 2016 for less than a year
The former federal member for Wentworth said it was time to bring in a new era after 17 years of the same leadership which has "grown stale".
"I am up against an incumbent with massive resources but it's time to place the City of Sydney in new safe hands," she said.
Ms Moore is looking to win her fifth term this year, after the 2020 local government elections were postponed due to COVID-19.
As part of her push for Lord Mayor, Dr Phelps flagged improving infrastructure, helping small businesses and reviving the night-time economy as priorities.
"Going forward, it's important that we look at improving every single area," she said.
The high-profile GP said the council needed to plan and budget well and be strategic around spending, as the city recovers from the financial impacts of COVID-19.
"Transparency in all governance processes is going to be important. We have to improve the property management to ensure the City of Sydney gets the best value out of its assets," she said.
"We also need to look after the people who are the most vulnerable ... and are not doing so well in our city. It can be very difficult to find affordable housing for a lot of people."
Dr Phelps said her campaign would prioritise Sydney's residents and visitors over personal politics.
"What I want to do is make it clear that the people of Sydney are my foremost concern and any politics and personal interactions are very much not on my agenda," she said.
Dr Phelps was elected to the City of Sydney Council in 2016 and served as Ms Moore's Deputy Lord Mayor for less than a year.
At the time, Ms Moore accused her deputy of being driven by ambition.
"She, I think, likes the position but perhaps, perhaps not the work," Ms Moore said in 2017.
At the time, Dr Phelps said she had been asking questions about council budget allocations and expenses in her role on the council's finance committee.
She claimed she had been blocked from getting answers about the independent scrutiny of council expenditure in the interests of transparency.
But in response, Ms Moore claimed Dr Phelps did not share the team's vision and values and expressed disappointment that she did not support council initiatives like car-sharing and cycling policies.
Dr Phelps won the seat of Wentworth in Sydney's east in a 2018 by-election but conceded defeat to Liberal candidate Dave Sharma just seven months later.