2008 Victorian local elections
{{Short description|Election in Victoria}}
{{Infobox election
| country = Victoria
| type = parliamentary
| ongoing = no
| election_date = 29 November 2008
| previous_election = 2005 Victorian local elections
| previous_year = 2005
| next_election = 2012 Victorian local elections
| next_year = 2012
| registered =
| turnout =
}}
The 2008 Victorian local elections were held on 29 November 2008 to elect the councils of the 79 local government areas in Victoria, Australia.{{cite web |title=Local council election results timeline |url=https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/Results/results-munitimeline.html |publisher=Victorian Electoral Commission|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170303133114/https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/Results/results-munitimeline.html |archive-date=2017-03-03 }}
As a result of changes to the Local Government Act 1989, local elections in Victoria were no longer conducted periodically, and all 79 LGAs voted at the same time.{{cite web |title=VOTING METHOD FOR THE 2008 COUNCIL ELECTIONS |url=https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/about-council/committees-meetings/meeting-archive/MeetingAgendaItemAttachments/59/1082/FGC_52_200703130630.pdf |publisher=City of Melbourne|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231102214302/https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/about-council/committees-meetings/meeting-archive/MeetingAgendaItemAttachments/59/1082/FGC_52_200703130630.pdf |archive-date=2023-11-02 }}
The elections saw the first election victories for The Greens in Casey, Darebin, Glen Eira, Manningham, Queenscliffe and Surf Coast.{{cite web |title=Victorian council elections: November 29 |url=https://www.pollbludger.net/2008/11/15/victorian-council-elections-november-29/ |publisher=The Poll Bludger}}
Labor Party-endorsed candidates ran in Maribyrnong, while former Liberal leader Robert Doyle was elected Lord Mayor of Melbourne on the Activate Melbourne ticket.{{cite web |title=Martin Zakharov |url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20081125223605/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/90663/20081126-0910/martinzak.com.au/index.html |website=Trove |publisher=Martin Zakharov}}{{cite web |title=Activate Melbourne |url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20081201012707/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/91792/20081128-1544/www.activatemelbourne.com.au/index.html |website=Trove |publisher=Activate Melbourne}}
Aftermath
Three Greens councillors were elected mayor by a vote of other councillors following the elections: Amanda Stone (Yarra), Philip Schier (Mount Alexander) and Helen Harris (Whitehorse).
In May 2010, three Labor councillors in Moreland − Stella Kariofyllidis, Kathleen Matthews-Ward and Alice Pryor − were suspended from the party after not voting for Labor's Enver Erdogan to become mayor. Kariofyllidis was suspended for three years, while the others were suspended for two years.{{cite web |title=ALP suspends trio for breaking ranks |url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/alp-suspends-trio-for-breaking-ranks-20100325-qx1c.html |publisher=The Age |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231101200331/https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/alp-suspends-trio-for-breaking-ranks-20100325-qx1c.html |archive-date=1 November 2023}}