FREMANTLE mayor Brad Pettitt has confirmed he’s been asked to run for the Greens at this year’s federal election.

Dr Pettitt says he’s been approached to stand for Fremantle, but is still weighing up the pros and cons and hasn’t made a decision. He wouldn’t be drawn on a suggestion in the West Australian newspaper that he’d only run if his deputy mayor Josh Wilson lost Labor preselection to MUA-backed Chris Brown. The daily had asked him but he’d brushed it off with a “no comment”.

He says there’s more to think about than the outcome of Labor’s pre-selection battle.

And while Mr Brown is understood to have the important union numbers stitched up for Labor pre-selection, courtesy of a deal between the maritime union and powerful United Voice union, Mr Wilson is garnering support on the streets of Fremantle.

This week a new grassroots campaign emerged on Facebook — #josh4freo, with locals expressing their support for Mr Wilson by photographing themselves with a sign sporting the hashtag. Amongst those to sign up so far are local author David Whish-Wilson and Save Beeliar Wetlands organiser Kate Kelly.

by STEVE GRANT