Red wine and politics

As I enjoyed a midday glass of red at the launch of Allan Watson, celebrating the life and times of a former Lord Mayor of Melbourne and owner of the iconic Jimmy Watson’s in Lygon St, Carlton, I was reminded of times past as an elected Melbourne City councillor and the future of democracy in this city.

The iconic Jimmy Watson’s Wine Bar goes back 90 years when Jimmy Watson opened Melbourne’s first wine bar in 1935. He became synonymous with red wine through the Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy Award.

Allan has been “mine host” for more than 60 years welcoming patrons and many friends into the inner sanctum of Jimmy Watson’s. Allan assumed this role and responsibility following the death of his father in 1962 and took on the role with passion and commitment.

Standing on the step into the wine bar Allan is a well-known identity on Lygon St. He has seen many come over the years including business and community leaders, film and media celebrities plus political leaders of both red and blue persuasion.

Jimmy Watson’s is a place for both red wine and politics!

Allan was a Melbourne City Council tragic! He first stood for council in 1970 as an endorsed Labor candidate but was unsuccessful. But undeterred he stood in 1973 as an independent in a city ward and was duly elected.

At the launch former journalist at The Age Lawrence Money, paid tribute to Allan and the Watson legacy and reminded us that Allan was the shortest-serving Lord Mayor having been dismissed along with all councillors in 1993. Like Allan I remember the dismissal in 1993 well.

As the clock ticked past midnight at my home on September 28, 1993, the council-provided fax machine delivered my dismissal notice. The ballot box in the City of Melbourne had been replaced by a fax machine.

The Melbourne City Council was the first cab off the local government rank for the Kennett campaign of reform and retribution. Boundaries were redrawn to excise North Carlton and large swathes of North Melbourne and Kensington from the municipality, the council was reduced to nine councillors with only four single member wards and five councillors elected at large, postal voting only and two votes for business.

There is much to be written on the intervening years of complicity by both Liberal and Labor governments in supporting a gerrymander and undemocratic electoral provisions that continue to ignore the interests and needs of residents and small traders.

And yes, I did vote for Cr Watson as Lord Mayor back in 1993. We mistakenly thought that Kennett could not sack the son and owner of Jimmy Watson’s.

Since 1993 reform of the City of Melbourne Act has seen Premiers, Lord Mayors and councillors tight-lipped and evasive while community concern over the past three decades has become ever more vocal. The last council election solicited support for reform of the City of Melbourne Act by Lord Mayoral candidates including the current Lord Mayor.

But the current council has been slow, and some would say complicitous in maintaining the status quo. In June the council belatedly and unenthusiastically passed a resolution calling for the state government to review the Act. It was a bare majority. The Minister for Local Government has failed to respond, and it would appear he too would have voted against a review.

The Carlton Residents’ Association continues to support a review of the City of Melbourne Act and the electoral provisions and calls on the Minister to announce the schedule and terms of reference. There should be an open and transparent review of the Act. •