Newcastle council's lone Liberal will not run for office in September, and neither will Labor party branch member, lawyer and council critic Catherine Henry.
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Liberal councillor Brad Luke would not comment about his impending departure from the chamber after 13 years, but the Newcastle Herald has been told the ward two representative has moved to Belmont and has not nominated for party pre-selection.
The financial planner, who is getting married in May, may not own property in the council area by September, meaning he could be ineligible to stand again.
Meanwhile, Ms Henry says she will not run for lord mayor or the council this year, despite being approached to stand as an independent.
Ms Henry, the daughter of the late Newcastle activist and councillor Margaret Henry, is a party member but has been publicly critical of some of the Labor-run council's decisions.
Lawyers acting for lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes and council chief executive Jeremy Bath threatened defamation action against Ms Henry in 2019 after she shared an inflammatory Facebook post by east end resident Maria Charlton.
The threats were withdrawn after Ms Henry took down the post.
Newcastle Labor MP Tim Crakanthorp named Ms Henry as Newcastle Local Woman of the Year on International Women's Day last week.
Ms Henry ran unsuccessfully for council in 2008 on a ticket with Mr Crakanthorp in ward two.
The aged care advocate told the Newcastle Herald she was focused on her legal practice but would not rule out running for lord mayor in the future.
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She said she had been asked "a number of times" in the past year and as recently as this month to stand as an independent.
"I'm perfectly happy doing what I'm doing," she said.
"I have a commitment to my business and my employees, and I feel the firm does good work.
"That's not to say I don't have views. That's not to say I don't shudder at some of the development decisions that have been made.
"I care very deeply about Newcastle; I'm not just channeling my mother.
"I think I share the concerns of a lot of Labor party members.
"I wouldn't rule out a shift in another direction at a future point in time."
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Michael Parris
Michael Parris reports on politics for the Newcastle Herald. He started at the Herald in 1994 after working in the ABC Newcastle newsroom. Michael spent much of his career as a sub-editor before moving into political reporting in 2017. He was a finalist in the Sports Australia national media awards for his stories about a male-only tennis club in Newcastle. He has covered NSW and federal elections, state and federal budgets and local politics. He has also written extensively about the COVID-19 pandemic with a special focus on data analysis and the effects of lockdowns on the Hunter community.
Michael Parris reports on politics for the Newcastle Herald. He started at the Herald in 1994 after working in the ABC Newcastle newsroom. Michael spent much of his career as a sub-editor before moving into political reporting in 2017. He was a finalist in the Sports Australia national media awards for his stories about a male-only tennis club in Newcastle. He has covered NSW and federal elections, state and federal budgets and local politics. He has also written extensively about the COVID-19 pandemic with a special focus on data analysis and the effects of lockdowns on the Hunter community.
