SIMON HJORTKJAER
Polls show, the man with the best chance of putting Graham Quirk out of the mayor’s office is Labor’s Rod Harding. A lawyer with no formal political experience, Harding stands against Graham Quirk, who was first elected to the City Council in 1985.
Rod Harding, who grew up with than seven siblings, had his first job at his parents’ business; a local pub and hotel. He later completed Bachelor degrees in law and business and a Masters in applied finance. He then ran his own legal practice and had executive bank jobs both here in Australia and overseas in the U.S. and Canada.
Rod Harding now lives in Ashgrove with his wife Anna and their three children. In his spare time he trains for triathlons.
Rod Harding leads his campaign with the slogan ‘New Energy for Brisbane’ and focuses heavily on solving issues of congestion. His proposed solutions include establishing a light rail in Brisbane and introducing ‘fare free Fridays’ for the rest of 2016 on busses and ferries.
The light rail is estimated to cost approximately $1,220 million. According to Rod Harding’s campaign, the Brisbane City Council will pay for $140 million. The rest will be sourced from the Federal and State Gorvernments along with the private sector.
Another of Rod Harding’s infrastructural policies is centered around the pedestrian bridge connecting Kangaroo Point and the Central Business District . The bridge has been talked about for years in the council, but Rod Harding intends to fast-track the project. If elected as the new Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Harding would facilitate immediate construction of the bridge in 2016.