Docklander Jamal Hakim is a councillor!

Docklander Jamal Hakim is a councillor!

By Sean Car

In what came as the shock result of the 2020 City of Melbourne local government elections, independent candidate and Docklands resident Jamal Hakim has been elected as a councillor.

In addition to the re-election of Lord Mayor Sally Capp, the new-look council now has two Docklands residents representing the local community, with Mr Hakim sneaking home on preferences.

Mr Hakim, who ran on the local independent Team Hakim ticket alongside his mother Safaa, said he looked forward to representing Docklands on the new council, and giving a voice to all City of Melbourne residents.

“As a Docklands resident, this chance to represent residents in Docklands and across Melbourne City Council is a privilege and I will work to ensure the interests of our diverse community is recognised in the council,” he said.

“I look forward to working with the Lord Mayor, the Deputy Lord Mayor and the other elected councillors to oversee Melbourne City Council as we head into the new COVID-normal.”

“My promise to voters is to ensure decisions are founded in evidence, take into account community needs, and are driven with focussed action to ensure real outcomes for our community, not just talk.”

“Sitting on the council, I will work so that resident voices are not just consulted, but heard and taken seriously – driving decisions and action to better support our community every time.”

The result is particularly remarkable given the barriers new independent candidates faced in campaigning in this election, with grassroots campaign methods such as doorknocking and physical meet the candidate meetings, banned due to COVID-19.

“Running a campaign during this pandemic has been unusual and even more limited,” Mr Hakim said.

“Without a large budget, the support from volunteers who gave up their two hours of outdoor time each day, and online engagement from the community meant better reach in our message. We also relied more on online campaigning.”

“Short to say, it was not a regular campaign, especially for someone who is not a politician!”

Mr Hakim said that while it was disappointing to see few local residents, and less women on the newly-elected council, he looked forward to providing the entire Melbourne community with greater representation at the council.

“I am greatly encouraged by the diversity of candidates in these council elections across Victoria, and I hope that this continues into the future,” he said

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