The Cairns Unity Team, also known as Cairns Unity, the Unity Team or simply Unity, is an Australian political party that competes in local elections for Cairns Regional Council.
Cairns Unity Team | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader | Terry James |
| Founder | Bob Manning |
| Founded | January 2012 |
| Ideology | Localism |
| Cairns Regional Council | 3 / 10
|
Until the 2024 election, Unity had a majority on council and held the mayoralty.[1]
Kevin Byrne, a former mayor who was defeated in 2008, had previously run his team under the name of "Cairns Unity Team".[2]
History
editIn January 2012, Bob Manning announced his intention to run for mayor of Cairns at the local government elections with a team of candidates under the name "Unity 2012". Manning considered the team to be apolitical.[2] He was elected mayor with 55.61% of the vote, and six Unity councillors were successful.[3]
Manning was re-elected in 2016, with Unity running in seven of nine wards.[4]
In 2020, Manning was elected to a third term with 81.25% of the vote after preferences. Six Unity councillors were elected, giving the party a majority on the council.[5]
Manning resigned as mayor in November 2023. Unity councillor Terry James was appointed as his replacement until the 2024 election, while Jeremy Neal (also a Unity member) was appointed to replace James in Division 4.[6][7]
Electoral history
editMayor
edit| Election year | Mayoral candidate | # of overall votes |
% of overall vote |
# of overall seats won |
+/– |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Bob Manning | 1 / 1
|
 1
| ||
| 2016 | Bob Manning | 1 / 1
|
| ||
| 2020 | Bob Manning | 47,171 | 66.97 | 1 / 1
|
|
| 2024 | Terry James | 20,187 | 24.04 | 0 / 1
|
 1
|
Councillors
edit| Election year | # of overall votes |
% of overall vote |
# of overall wards won |
+/– | Council control (term) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 6 / 10
|
6
|
Unity majority (2012−2024) | ||||
| 2016 | 6 / 9
|
| |||||
| 2020 | 26,395 | 6 / 9
|
| ||||
| 2024 | 3 / 9
|
3
|
No overall control (2024–present) | ||||
References
edit- ^ "Seven past and present Unity councillors avoid OIA action after tribunal ruling against Manning". Cairns Post.
- ^ a b White, Tarina (19 January 2012). "Bob Manning's focus on rebuilding Cairns economy". The Cairns Post. Cairns, QLD. Archived from the original on 3 March 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
- ^ "2012 Local Government Elections". Electoral Commission of Queensland. Archived from the original on 15 January 2024.
- ^ "Candidates in Ballot Paper Order: 2016 Cairns Regional Council - Councillor Election". Electoral Commission of Queensland.
- ^ "2020 Local Government Elections". Electoral Commission of Queensland. Archived from the original on 11 January 2024.
- ^ "Mayor resigns on medical advice". Cairns Local News.
- ^ "Cairns Unity Team's Jeremy Neal appointed as Division 4 councillor". Cairns Post.