John So

Infobox_Officeholder |
honorific-prefix = The Right Honourable
name= Dr. John Chun Sai So
蘇震西博士
honorific-suffix=
JP


caption=
nationality=Australian
order=102nd Lord Mayor of Melbourne
term_start=November 2001
term_end=
deputy =Susan Riley (2001-2004)
Gary Singer (2004-Present)
predecessor=Peter Costigan
successor= Incumbent
birth_date=Birth date and age|1946|10|2|mf=y
birth_place=Hong Kong
death_date=
death_place=
spouse=Wendy Cheng
party=IndependentDr. John Chun Sai So JP (Traditional Chinese: 蘇震西, Simplified Chinese: 苏震西) is an Australian businessman and the Lord Mayor of Melbourne, the capital of Victoria, Australia. He was the first Lord Mayor in the city's history to be directly elected by the people; previously, Lord Mayors were elected by the Councillors. First elected in 2001 and re-elected in 2004, So is currently the longest-serving Lord Mayor of Melbourne.

On 8 June 2007, John So received a Doctor of the University from Victoria University honouring his service in local government. [cite news|title=John So scores a doctorate|url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21867768-2862,00.html|publisher=Herald Sun|date=2007-06-08]

On 1 October 2008 John So announced he would not seek re-election for a third term as Lord Mayor. [cite web|url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24433359-661,00.html|title=John So to quit as Lord Mayor|publisher=news.com.au|accessdate=2008-10-01]

Background

So was born in Hong Kong [cite news|title=Hong Kong-born Lord Mayor of Melbourne, John So|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/photos/2007/05/17/1925926.htm] . When he was 17 years old, he moved to Melbourne and completed his secondary education at University High School. He then went on to his tertiary studies, obtaining a Diploma of Education and Bachelor of Science from the University of Melbourne. After graduating, he taught physics at Fitzroy High School. So became a business operator in 1973, with interests across Australia, Hong Kong and China.

So's political career has included positions as Director of Asia Society's AustralAsia Centre, Commissioner of Victoria Ethics Affairs Commission, Director of Melbourne Water, Honorary Member of World Mayors Council on Climate Change, Executive Member of the Committee for Melbourne, [cite news|title=The Committee for Melbourne: Boards|url=http://www.melbourne.org.au/boards.0.html|publisher=Committee for Melbourne] President of Lord Mayor's Charitable Fund, Chairman of the Asia Pacific Racing Carnival and Chairman of the Victorian Chinese Welfare Centre. [cite news|title=Councillors - The Right Honourable Lord Mayor John So|url=http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/info.cfm?top=190&pa=1317&pg=1995|publisher=City of Melbourne]

So is also actively involved in Australia's major sporting events. He is the number one ticketholder for the Melbourne Demons Football Club (Australian Rules Football) and number one ticket holder for Melbourne Victory Football Club (Association Football). He does not take an interest in rugby, but is an ardent supporter of the Melbourne Storm.

He has been married twice and has four children. His wife, Wendy Cheng, is the Lady Mayoress of Melbourne and chairs the Lady Mayoress' Committee.

Politics

In 1991, So contested politics for the first time and was elected as one of the Councillors of the City of Melbourne. He was re-elected in 1996 and 1999. In 1999, So came within one vote of being elected Lord Mayor.

In 2001 the Victorian Government prematurely dismissed the Lord Mayor, Deputy Lord Mayor and Councillors for ongoing infighting, which resulted in the Council's inability to function. The Government immediately reformed the system to give the Lord Mayor a stronger mandate. Under the new system, the Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor were to be directly elected by the citizens in a US-Presidential Style Election, as opposed to being elected by the Councillors.

First term as Lord Mayor, 2001-2004

In the 2001 Lord Mayor Elections, So polled the second highest number of primary votes of 14.9%. The candidate with the most primary votes, Peter Sheppard received 15.2%. After preferences, So comforably defeated Sheppard and became the first directly elected Lord Mayor of Melbourne. So also defeated then-Premier Steve Bracks' preferred candidate, Peter McMullin and former Federal Minister and Australian Democrats founder, Don Chipp.

So has been a popular Lord Mayor and has been credited for re-establishing confidence and unity in the Town Hall. So presided over a prosperous term in which Melbourne was voted World's Most Livable City on more than one occasion. [cite news|title=Best city in the world|url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/10/04/1033538761412.html|publisher=The Age|date=2002-10-04] Along with television presenter Livinia Nixon, So has been the face of the "That's Melbourne" campaign to encourage tourism. He has campaigned strongly against crime, and is a member of the Police Minister's Crime Prevention Council. He has also pushed for the Federal Government to build a national indigenous museum in Melbourne.

So has been criticised as some see him as a poor communicator, partly due to his heavily accented English. A restaurant with ties to So was also fined $75,000 for breaches of the Food Safety Act by his own Council. [cite news|title=So's campaign for second term trips on a cockroach|url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/03/19/1079199430436.html|publisher=The Age|date=2004-03-20] . In 2002, So was accused putting his relationship with the Chinese Government ahead by refusing to meet the Dalai Lama during his Australian visit. [cite news|title=Melbourne to snub Dalai Lama|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200205/s546302.htm|publisher=ABC News Online|date=2002-05-02] The Council was also punished by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal for prohibiting the Falun Gong from participating in the city's annual Moomba parade. [cite news|title=City Council bans Falun Gong from Moomba|url=http://www.theage.com.au/cgi-bin/common/popupPrintArticle.pl?path=/articles/2003/02/20/1045638423360.html|publisher=The Age|date=2003-02-21]

econd term as Lord Mayor, 2004-present

2004 Election

Though he had been a relatively popular mayor, So was widely expected to be defeated at the 2004 elections. [cite news|title=The mayor will lose his war|url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/11/06/1099547433385.html?from=moreStories|publisher=The Age|date=2004-11-07] Despite this, So polled tremendously well on election day, achieving 42.2% of the primary votes (compared to his nearest rival who received 9.2%), and was re-elected in a landslide. [cite news|title=Mayoral Results for Melbourne City Council Elections 2004|url=http://www.vec.vic.gov.au/MelbourneResult2004.html|publisher=Victorian Electoral Commission] So's ticket for the Councillor positions was also successful, winning a historical majority in the Town Hall. [cite news|title=Historic second term for So|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Historic-second-term-for-mayor-So/2004/11/27/1101495460343.html?from=storylhs|publisher=The Age|date=2004-11-28]

Commonwealth Games

During the 2006 Commonwealth Games, John So was warmly welcomed by Melbourne as a figurehead of the city, more than Victoria Premier Steve Bracks and Prime Minister John Howard. This led to "John So, he's our bro'" [http://www.johnsoismybro.com.au/ t-shirts] and "John So for PM'" shirts and stickers being manufactured and worn by some Melburnians as a testament to the city's tolerance and multiculturalism. John So has since been raised to near-cult status, with the mere mention of his name enough to invoke cheers and chants from many people. At the closing ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games, at every mention of So's name, there was a tremendous applause from the crowd, which got progressively louder with each occurrence. [cite news|title=Melbourne, we did it!|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/commonwealth-games/melbourne-we-did-it/2006/03/26/1143330923113.html?page=fullpage|publisher=Sydney Morning Herald|date=2006-03-26] This 'in joke' was a good example of Australia's sometimes 'off-beat' humour, but also a subtle means of supporting So, who had been pushed out of the limelight by Premier Bracks during official celebrations throughout the Games. [cite news|title=So, who's a popular mayor?|url=http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,18617930-1702,00.html|publisher=NEWS.com.au|date=2006-03-26]

Planning and development

So presided over a number of major developments throughout his second term. The most significant of these include the refurbishment of the city's key shopping complex, Melbourne Central Shopping Centre; construction of the Council's second building, Council House 2, the first Six Green Star rating building in Australia; development of the New Convention Centre which in partnership with the State Government; and refurbishment of Melbourne's key shopping precinct Bourke Street Mall. During So's term, the Council also regained jurisdiction over Melbourne's new waterfront, Melbourne Docklands, from the State Government.

Foreign affairs

Following the Commonwealth Games, So was quick to capitalise on Melbourne's relationship with the new host city, Delhi. In September 2007, Melbourne formed a stratregic alliance with Delhi. In its first year, So envisages the alliance to involve workshops regarding Melbourne’s preparation for the 2006 Commonwealth Games; research to assess opportunities for Melbourne businesses to pursue in Delhi; provide networking opportunities between Melbourne and Delhi based businesses; grants or incentives for companies in Delhi to set up a presence in Melbourne; invitations for key Delhi performers to feature in Melbourne festivals; Internship program for graduates between the Delhi and Melbourne city councils; and assistance in the recruitment of sport coaches and administrators. [cite news|title=New relationship for Delhi and Melbourne|url=http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/info.cfm?top=228&pg=715&st=851|publisher=City of Melbourne|date=2007-09-04] Delhi is the second foreign relationship So has formed, following Melbourne's sister city agreement with Milan in March 2004.

Controversies

In 2007, So was criticised for the redundancies of staff at the Melbourne City Council after an efficiency review found that the Council had a $4.2 million black hole. [cite news|title=Melbourne efficiency review to reveal council problems|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/05/30/1937386.htm|publisher=ABC News|date=2007-05-30] So used his casting vote to defeat a 'vote of no confidence' by opposition councillors over the incident. [cite news|title=Big-spending mayor goes for broke|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/so-whats-up/2007/05/30/1180205338463.html|publisher=The Age|date=2007-05-31] . Following the vote, opposition councillors stepped up their attack and criticised So for not meeting the Dalai Lama during his 2007 visit. They also claimed So had also tried to stop them from meeting the Dalai Lama. [ [http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/so-snubs-dalai-lama/2007/06/08/1181089312530.html So snubs Dalai Lama - National - theage.com.au ] ]

World Mayor

So's popularity in office resulted in him being named World Mayor for 2006. So won the contest ahead of Amsterdam Mayor Job Cohen, who placed second, and Harrisburg Mayor Stephen R. Reed who was third. World Mayor cited, amongst other things, the successful staging of the 2006 Commonwealth Games and So's popularity among the young population of Melbourne as a reason for So's victory. In its verdict, the judging panel described So as 'possibly the first city leader to enjoy 'cult status'". [cite news|title=John So, Lord Mayor of Melbourne wins the 2006 World Mayor Award|url=http://www.worldmayor.com/results06/wm_winners06.html|publisher=World Mayor|date=2006-12-05]

So was humble after the results were revealed: "I am delighted to be elected World Mayor 2006," Mr. So said. In his closing statements to the media, he added "The honour belongs to the amazing people of this wonderful city and the hard working team at the City of Melbourne". [cite news|title=So good: the world's best mayor|url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,20874536-2862,00.html|publisher=Herald Sun|date=2006-12-05]

Honours

In 2006, So was among 11 recipients of the 'You Bring Charm to the World' Award, presented at Peking University in Beijing. The Award was jointly sponsored by Phoenix Television, Baidu, and Beijing Youth Daily and recognised the achievements of the 'most influential Chinese in 2006'. [cite news|title=Zhang Ziyi Brings Charm to the World|url=http://www.china.org.cn/english/entertainment/205786.htm|publisher=china.org.cn|date=2007-04-02] In 2007, So received a Doctor of the University from Victoria University in recognition of his service in local government.

Decision not to contest for third term as Lord Mayor

Speculation had been rife that So was preparing to stand for the Lord Mayoral Elections in November 2008. Popular view was that should So stand for a third consecutive term, there will be very few candidates who would have the profile and financial prowess to rival him. [cite news|title=And So, has the time come for mayoral change?|url=http://www.theage.com.au/national/and-so-has-the-time-come-for-mayoral-change-20080726-3lf4.html|publisher=The Age|date=2008-07-27] Rumours surfaced that former Victoria Premier Jeff Kennett might be able to challenge So effectively [cite news|title=They're off in the mayoral race|url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24073196-24218,00.html|publisher=Herald Sun|date=2008-07-25] and Kennett confirmed that several Liberal Party members had approached him on this matter. In late September 2008, Kennett announced that he would not run for Lord Mayor. [cite news|title=Jeff Kennett rules out running for Melbourne Lord Mayor|url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24383986-2862,00.html|publisher=Herald Sun|date=2008-09-22]

On 1 October 2008, John So officially announced that he would not seek re-election, stating "you can't work at 110 per cent forever and that is what this job requires." [cite news|title=Melbourne mayor John So will not seek re-election|url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24430120-2702,00.html|publisher=The Australian|date=2008-10-01|] So's surprise decision not to seek a third term immediately drew interest from a field of high-profile Australians which included former Victoria Opposition Leader and Liberal Party Leader Robert Doyle, Spotless heir-apparent Peter McMullin and Ann Peacock, the daughter of former Federal Opposition Leader Andrew Peacock and wife of Liberal Party power-broker Michael Kroger

So's key supporters in Town Hall also confirmed they would be contesting for the November elections. Most notably, So's right-hand man and Chief of Staff for seven years, Kevin Louey, announced his candidacy as the number one Councillor candidate on Peter McMullin's team, fueling speculation that the Labor Party power-broker has secured backing of So and Victoria Premier John Brumby. [cite news|title=Geelong councillor to run for mayor|url=http://www.theage.com.au/national/geelong-councillor-to-run-for-mayor-20081001-4s1f.html|publisher=The Age|date=2008-10-02] So's Deputy Lord Mayor, Gary Singer, and the leading Councillor on So's two terms as Lord Mayor, Cathrine Ng, are also expected to contest for Lord Mayor. [cite news|title=Melbourne City Council race heats up|url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24467993-661,00.html|publisher=Herald Sun|date=2008-10-09]

References

ee also

* [http://www.johnso.com.au/ John So - Official Website]
* [http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/info.cfm?top=190&pa=1317&pg=1995 John So page on Melbourne Council website]
* [http://www.john-so.com.au/ Lord Mayor Cr John So - The Official, Unofficial Fan Web Site]
* [http://www.worldmayor.com/ John So No. 1 World Mayor]