Cedric Spencer
Cedric Spencer | |
|---|---|
| Mayor of Ku-ring-gai Council | |
| In office 21 September 2021 – 4 December 2021 | |
| Deputy | Sam Ngai |
| Preceded by | Jennifer Anderson |
| Succeeded by | Jeff Pettett |
| Deputy Mayor of Ku-ring-gai Council | |
| In office 22 September 2020 – 21 September 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Callum Clarke |
| Succeeded by | Sam Ngai |
| Councillor of Ku-ring-gai Council | |
| Assumed office 9 September 2017 Serving with Donna Greenfield and Kim Wheatley | |
| Preceded by | Duncan McDonald and Chantelle Fornari-Orsmond |
| Constituency | Wahroonga ward |
| Personal details | |
| Party | Independent (2026 onwards) |
Other political affiliations | Independent Liberal (until 2026) |
| Website | Councillor profile |
Cedric Ricardo Spencer is an Australian politician and lawyer who is a councillor on Ku-ring-gai Council. He previously served as Mayor from September to December 2021 and Deputy Mayor of the council from September 2020 to January 2022. On council, he was an independent member of the Liberal Party, however his membership of the party was suspended in June 2026.
Spencer operates a legal firm in Gordon and volunteered with the Marrickville Community Legal Centre and Aboriginal Legal Services in 2013.
Legal career
As of 2013, Spencer is a lawyer and volunteers at Marrickville Community Legal Centre and Aboriginal Legal Services.[1]
Political career
Spencer's first attempt at entering politics was in 2013 when he stood as the Liberal candidate for then-transport minister Anthony Albanese's seat of Grayndler.[1]
Spencer was elected Mayor of Ku-ring-gai Council on 21 September 2021.[2]
Under Spencer's leadership of the council, councillors repeatedly boycotted meetings due to a motion to review the appointment of general manager John McKee.[3] Shortly after local government minister Shelley Hancock indicated that the state government may intervene in the council, Spencer requested that the motion to review McKee's performance be withdrawn.[4] In October 2021, Spencer was banned from speaking to council staff. McKee stated "It is not appropriate for staff to be subjected to explicit or implicit threats of dismissal by a mayor", McKee also said that he received legal advice when coming to this decision.[5]
Spencer's term as Mayor concluded on 4 December 2021. He was replaced as Mayor by Jeff Pettett.[6][7]
In 2023, the NSW Government commenced an investigation of a $3.6 million grant provided to Ku-ring-gai Council for a grandstand at North Turramurra Recreational Area. The council initially voted in favour of signing the contract to build the grandstand but has since received criticism from the community, so was voted on by the council again. Spencer stated that the plan needed to be free of risk of falling afoul of grant guidelines, he was concerned that there was no 50% co-payment contribution from the Northern Suburbs Football Association, he said that the project may expose the council to "considerable risks of cost overruns and ongoing maintenance and operational costs", he also said that the proposal would make the football association "the primary users of this site at the expense of all other users for decades to come".[8]
In September 2023, the council voted against a motion that would re-employ McKee as General Manager, Spencer joined the votes against this motion.[9]
As Ku-ring-gai Council was challenging the state government's housing law reforms in the Land and Environment Court in 2024, Spencer said the council was taking an "ineffective and unnecessarily expensive" approach to challenging the reforms, he called for a more "proactive" approach to finding solutions to boost housing supply, he also said that the council's actions were being driven by a small group of activists who have been very vocal in the community for the past 20 years.[10]
In October 2025, Spencer was charged with one count of using "a carriage service namely mobile phone in such a way that reasonable persons would regard that use as being menacing, harassing or offensive". In the alleged conversation, Spencer launched a "verbal tirade" against fellow councillor Matthew Devlin.[11][12] These charges were dropped in August 2026. He is required to receive medical and psychological treatment.[13]
Spencer said to state MP for Wahroonga Alister Henskens that if he won his challenge against then-Mayor Jennifer Anderson he would "fire McKee immediately", which was further encouraged when Henskens said "Get rid of John McKee [sic]", Henskens also requested that Andrew Watson, director of strategy and environment at Ku-ring-gai Council. Spencer had notified Henskens of the mayoral challenge in advance of the vote. Spencer said that Henskens was agitated by McKee not proceeding quickly enough with several projects that received state government funding.[14]
On 12 June 2026, Spencer was suspended from the Liberal Party for six months on the basis that state director Mark Neeham thought Spencer's Facebook posts about Henskens were likely to "cause embarrassment", this means that he has also forfeited his positions within the party as President of the South Warrawee Branch and Conference Executive for the Bradfield Federal Electoral Conference.[15]
Personal life
Spencer is of English, Portuguese and Chinese heritage, and speaks several Asian languages. As of 2021, he lived in Pymble with his wife and a son.[2]
Spencer is president of the Warrawee branch of the Liberal Party.[16]
References
- 1 2 Murray, Oliver (7 February 2013). "Cedric Spencer to stand for Liberals in Grayndler". Inner West Courier. Archived from the original on 29 May 2026. Retrieved 29 May 2026 – via The Daily Telegraph.
- 1 2 "Ku-Ring-Gai Council Elects New Mayor and Deputy Mayor". Ku-ring-gai Living. 22 September 2021. Archived from the original on 22 February 2024. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
- ↑ Lo Surdo, Daniel and Thompson, Angus (25 October 2021). "Blue-ribbon Sydney council in disarray over no-show councillors". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 13 February 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
- ↑ Thompson, Angus (30 October 2021). "Ceasefire at dysfunctional north shore council ahead of elections". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 22 July 2025. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
- ↑ Thompson, Angue (25 October 2021). "Sydney mayor banned from talking to staff and PA moved to 'secret location' following alleged threats". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 22 February 2024. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
- ↑ "Minutes of Ordinary Meeting of Council - Tuesday, 21 September 2021". kuringgai.infocouncil.biz. Election of the Mayor for the period of September 2021 to 4 December 2021. Archived from the original on 2 July 2026. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
- ↑ "Meet Your New Look Ku-Ring-Gai Council". Ku-ring-gai Living. 18 January 2022. Archived from the original on 21 May 2024. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
- ↑ Taylor, Andrew (13 August 2023). "NSW government to investigate grants as anger grows over grandstand plans". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 12 April 2024.
- ↑ "Outrage Over GM's Sacking". Friends of Ku-ring-gai Environment. 21 September 2023. Archived from the original on 18 August 2025. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
- ↑ O'Doherty, James (31 May 2024). "Ku-ring-gai Councillor held 'hostage' by NIMBY 'activists': Councillor". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
- ↑ Bradshaw, Huw (14 October 2025). "Ku-ring-gai Councillor Cedric Spencer facing criminal charges". The North Shore Lorikeet. Archived from the original on 11 December 2025. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
- ↑ Barwell, David (15 October 2025). "Sydney councillor charged over alleged 'threat to kill'". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
- ↑ Bradshaw, Huw (24 August 2026). "Testing Time for Cedric Spencer as Appointments booked with GP, Psychologist and Specialists". The North Shore Lorikeet. Archived from the original on 24 August 2026. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
- ↑ Yin, Cindy (29 May 2026). "The state MP, the new mayor, and the messages to 'get rid of' a council CEO". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
- ↑ Bradshaw, Huw (19 June 2026). "Senior Ku-ring-gai Liberal suspended from party over Facebook posts". Archived from the original on 19 June 2026. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
- ↑ Ward, Mary (10 September 2023). "Local MP 'sent congratulatory texts' after council sacked general manager". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 18 September 2023. Retrieved 29 May 2026.