Socialist Alliance elected in Fremantle

Todays brilliant news story? Socialist Alliance member Sam Wainwright has been elected to Fremantle Council for the Hilton ward.

Sam won 440 votes (over 33%!) - over 100 more than his nearest competitor (ALP - 338 votes) and enough to put him over the line in the council's (actually preatty undemocratic) first-past-the-post system.

At a victory celebration last night, Sam told supporters that this victory was for the whole Socialist Alliance and the diverse supporters of his campaign.

He was proud that this campaign had been successful while being fully open about his socialist, environmentalist and unionist convictions.

Sam is the first Socialist Alliance member to be elected to a local government position in Australia.

In other results, the mayor (by a large margin) is Brad Pettit (Greens member), and of the six councilors elected this election, two were ALP, two Green and one SA.

More information to follow soon...