Henry Greener talks with Dick Gross
September 29, 2020 by Henry Greener-The Shtick
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Councillor Dick Gross is a seasoned local government politician with a record four terms as Mayor of the City of Port Phillip in the Canal Ward in Melbourne.
Henry Greener and Cr Dick Gross
Dick is again placing himself on the ballot for the forthcoming City of Port Phillip Elections. Since his first foray into local politics in 1996, Dick has had a very colourful journey of ups and downs, with so much experience that places him in the self-titled, self-effacing category of “local government tragic”!!
As a Labor-endorsed candidate, Dick is a “Fan of Dan” and believes that the Pandemic needs hard regulations to eradicate or at least minimize the chances of being infected by COVID-19.
Dick was not always a councilor in what is now Canal Ward. He also stood in an ward closer to St Kilda Town Hall and if my memory serves me well he was defeated once or did not stand one election. Dick home was in a street a few 100 metre away from the Town Hall. However he is the longest serving councilor after the amalgamation in early 1980’s.
The ubiquitous Dick Gross was not reelected, bad luck Dick. However the council is looking different with one independent in Gateway Ward, who is a business woman, while the remaining eight councillors are a broad mix of 2 Labor, 2 Liberal (unendorsed), 2 Greens and 2 RoPP (Residents of Port Phillip) which is a grass roots community group. The new council will consist of 5 women and 4 men elected. Also no left wing CAPP councillors now and one less Greens too.