The popular Vincent Mayor for the last two years said she would need to resign from the role in the coming week, handing over the reins to a fellow councillor filling in for Deputy Mayor Warren McGrath, who will be holidays, until the October 19 local elections.
‘I managed to get on the budget a full range of things that I really wanted to implement: things that I think would really liven the place up, like the upgrade of the Leederville town centre,’ she said.
‘We’ve got all these items on the budget and hopefully they will happen: even smaller ones like the Vietnamese monument and our first Islamic festival (EID, in October).’
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READ NOWMs MacTiernan said she was ‘energised’ by the prospect of rebuilding the Labor Party.
‘Ironically, there is much more opportunity to do that from the Opposition after a defeat than there is when one has won an election,’ she said.
‘Whilst you lose the influence that you have when you are in government, it’s not as if there aren’t many good things that you can do and certainly reforming and rebuilding the Labor Party is part of that.
‘I have been in opposition before so I understand the role and I’ll be in there doing my bit.’
She said one of her first jobs in the new role would be creating a ‘very active, dynamic office where we can be advocates for the local community’.
‘I think people want some energetic representation,’ Ms MacTiernan said.
‘I also want to create some opportunities for people to really participate in the political process.’
She said she did not have an eye on a particular portfolio at this stage.
‘I want to learn my way around the place a bit before I start putting my hand up for things,’ she said.
Ms MacTiernan said she was undaunted by the prospect of the constant flying to and from Canberra that lay ahead.