Peter Harle JP
Councillor since 2008
I am married to Janice; we have four daughters and twelve grandchildren. My ambition is to ensure that Liverpool is the best place for them to live and prosper and ensure that everyone benefits along the way.
I grew up in Liverpool and attended local schools and colleges. I joined the workforce as an Electrical Fitter-Mechanic Apprentice at Australuco, (Australian Aluminium Company) at Granville. After completing my apprenticeship, I worked in the Industry as a maintenance Electrician/Technician in various factories across the Metropolitan area, never staying more than a year or two in any one place. The main reason for that was to gain experience and knowledge of the industry.
As part of my education, I attended evening “Tech” as TAFE was called back then, to study Industrial Electronics, Instrumentation and Control as well as Robotics and Automation.
After seven years and many TAFE courses later, TAFE teachers convinced me to become one of them. In 1972 I decided that I had knowledge and experience to offer and joined TAFE as a teacher of Electrical Trades at Granville College of TAFE, I later transferred to Sydney (Ultimo) campus as a Teacher of Industrial Electronics. I taught at many TAFE colleges around the state of NSW including Sydney, Wollongong, Lidcombe, Bankstown, Granville, Miller, and Hornsby. I obtained my BEd in Adult Education at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) in 1991 and as a result was offered a position as Head Teacher of Industrial Electronics at either Sydney or Mt Druitt College of TAFE. I accepted the Mount Druitt position in 1991 and taught there until I retired in 2005.
My students were mainly adults that realised the enormous benefits of a TAFE qualification, particularly in the Electrical Engineering and Industrial Control fields. These courses were initially referred to as POST TRADES Courses, but later renamed Certificate and Diploma Courses. I retired from full time TAFE teaching in 2005, but continued as a part time teacher until 2008, one reason being the shortage of suitably qualified TAFE teachers, the other that I thoroughly enjoyed teaching, it has been an extremely pleasant and rewarding career.
In 2004, Colin Harrington, also a TAFE teacher and a previous Mayor of Liverpool Council, convinced me to join a team of Independents to contest Liverpool Council Elections. However, due to the failure of the OASIS project, Liverpool City Council was dismissed, and an Administrator appointed for the following four years.
Colin Harrington decided not to contest Liverpool Council Elections in 2008 and suggested I do so instead. I had criticised previous Councils for their lack of vision for Liverpool and thought that I should either “put up” or “shut up”. After a successful campaign I was elected in the North Ward of Liverpool in September 2008 and unanimously elected Deputy Mayor by fellow Councillors in the same year. I was re-elected as a Councillor in September 2012 and 2016.
I will be seeking re-election as a Mayoral candidate and as a Councillor for North Ward in the September 2021 Liverpool City Council Local Government Elections.
There is much more to achieve in Liverpool and I believe the Liverpool Community Independents Team has made many worthwhile contributions.
The Liverpool Community Independents Team (LCIT) is fielding candidates in both Wards in the upcoming Council Elections and we hope to be a major force in shaping Liverpool’s’ future.