When it comes to judging the performance of councils, at the ballot box anyway, the main criteria employed boils down to the oft quoted basic 3 Rs.

And the numbers people, of all political persuasions, will tell you pre-poll thinking usually goes along the lines:

• Do I have un-repaired potholes in my street or a decent footpath for our children to walk to the bus stop?

• Are my rates going to be hiked above the supposed state government mandated 3% once again this year?

• Is my rubbish emptied on time or does my cart stay at the gate for days?

What’s more, chances are if at least two of the three questions can be answered positively then the incumbents can look forward to a continued presence in the council chambers; however if they score less than this figure disgruntled ratepayers will start to seriously consider other candidates and parties on the voting slip.

It is perhaps a jaundiced view on the innate sense of the ordinary citizen but it does reveal that most ratepayers tend to focus on the fundamentals while many would-be political aspirants profess philosophies which are more suited to the state or federal arena.

Given this underlying sentiment, the dominance of ALP controlled councils in NSW remains a paradox which, combined with the fact that seven councils (mostly ALP) are currently under administration, must seem like a golden opportunity for alternative parties and independents to have a serious shot at the next elections.

As an ‘expat’ of over 25 years it has always seemed to me a unique characteristic of Australian politics that the party ruling at a federal level has nearly always had to face states controlled by their federal opposition.

The present Rudd government for the first time in decades does not suffer this electoral handicap, for the moment anyway, but will inevitably have to face a backlash at some stage, probably at a state level but possibly at the local level too. 

Of course it will become just another part of the well recorded ‘pendulum effect’, meaning just when the ALP reaches the peak of its ascendancy the momentum of voter goodwill will falter and change direction.

What’s the lesson here?

Human nature and political history being what they are the ALP will definitely have to lift its game at both the local and state levels if they are to retain their hold on power next time they face electors.

How this will actually be achieved at the state level, given the state of the economy generally, is questionable but there is hope and the recent Queensland result would seem to indicate electors will still support a new leader (of a troubled incumbent party) if the individual (male or female) is perceived as honestly trying to succeed in albeit difficult circumstances.

At the local level it’s a lot easier - just focus on the 3 Rs – some things never change!