Council Walk Out in the Hawkesbury
Kate Mackaness 26 September 2012
Despite high hopes and optimism that recent elections would see a fresh approach to local government in the Hawkesbury, the worst fears of many were realised on Tuesday night when five Councillors were driven to walk out of the first meeting of the new Council.
The walkout followed impassioned pleadings from community representatives that the new Council better represent the hopes and ambitions of the community that elected them.
Four community members all implored Councillors to consider their responsibilities to the whole community and vote for the mayoral and deputy mayoral positions on merit and experience; to deliver a high calibre team to guide the Hawkesbury's development over the
coming four years.
However Liberal and Liberal-aligned Councillors (“independents” Bob Porter and Warwick McKay), predictably voting on party lines, again delivered the Liberal team of Kim Ford and Tiffany Tree to the Council’s two top jobs.
After an impassioned move by Councillor Williams and a grim debate about allowing student documentary maker, Belinda Cone, to film the meeting, Councillors finally agreed to permit filming. However any brief sense of unanimity ceased with the next agenda item.
Ultimately a total of five non-Liberal Councillors walked out of the meeting and the packed public gallery was virtually emptied in support of those Councillors as community members cheered, clapped and then joined them outside the Council Chamber where an impromptu meeting was held.
The walk-out was triggered when genuinely independent Councillors, Christine Paine, Paul Rasmussen and Mary Lyons-Buckett, along with Councillor Leigh Williams (Greens) and Councillor Barry Calvert (Labor) were issued with the allocations for representation on Council Committees. These Councillors had been given no notice of the nature of Council Committees prior to the meeting; were not consulted over committee composition; and were instructed to vote on what was for them, a completely unacceptable and predetermined list, presented by the just-elected Deputy Mayor.
Councillor Christine Pain, with the highest personal vote in the area walked out of the meeting first, completely frustrated by the Liberal faction’s high-handed treatment of all non-Liberal membership of Council Committees; despite over 20 years of service to the community Councillor Paine was, except for a tokenistic role as the ‘alternative’ (or stand in) on two committees, completely eliminated from all Council committees.
All the Councillors who walked out were dismayed by the failure of the Deputy Mayor’s list to respect the experience, knowledge, historic involvement or indeed, availability of some Councillors whilst others, like just-elected Liberal Councillor, Mike Creed, admitted after the meeting he had been given the opportunity to nominate the committees he was interested in working with.
Later, a still-angry Councillor Paine said, “The dictatorial behavior of the Deputy Mayor and her Liberal supporters has dramatically weakened the Committee system. This approach means the Hawkesbury is not well-served by their elected Council representatives. Instead of getting the best people for each job, it’s a mate’s game.”
One of those community members who had addressed the the meeting, Fiona Smith, said, “I find it astounding a group of Liberal Councillors believe they have the right to pre-determine the allocation of Councillors to committees, without consultation or consideration of capability or interest. To remove Christine Paine, without consultation, from committees she has lead for almost 20 years is unprincipled and completely lacking in due process and transparency.”
“Not even a honeymoon period”, says a dismayed Councillor Leigh Williams. “It is a sad indication of what is in store for the Hawkesbury. Once again we have a Liberal bloc with no intention of looking after our community. They are entirely motivated by State Government policies and tonight they made a mockery of local democratic processes.”
Local resident and Chair of Community Action for Windsor Bridge (CAWB), Dail Miller said “Unfortunately this evening highlighted the total lack of respect some Councillors have for their community. This lack of respect can be seen in the way the previous council behaved regarding hugely important local issues like Thompson Square and the Windsor Bridge Replacement project.
Long-serving Councillor, Barry Calvert said, “This was a sad and disappointing day for the Hawkesbury community. We witnessed a council riding roughshod over the community it had just been elected to represent. I was hoping that with some new faces on the council we might have a council that put the community first and its own sectional interests last, but that is obviously not the case.
I was delighted to see a capacity crowd in the gallery tonight. In past years there have been few witnesses to the arrogant displays of some Councillors, but the large gallery tonight will spread the news about the council members who do not care about the general community!”
But it was newly-elected Councillor, Mary Lyons-Buckett who was perhaps most distressed by the evening’s events. “I entered my first Council meeting filled with hope and enthusiasm. I want to be part of a strong team of councillors working collectively to deliver better outcomes to the Hawkesbury people. My hopes were broken in a display which was nothing short of shameful, and which demonstrated the contempt of some Councillors for the very community they were elected to serve.”
After the walk-out the remaining Liberal and Liberal-aligned Councillors passed the Deputy Mayor’s Committee lists.
Kate Mackaness 26 September 2012
Despite high hopes and optimism that recent elections would see a fresh approach to local government in the Hawkesbury, the worst fears of many were realised on Tuesday night when five Councillors were driven to walk out of the first meeting of the new Council.
The walkout followed impassioned pleadings from community representatives that the new Council better represent the hopes and ambitions of the community that elected them.
Four community members all implored Councillors to consider their responsibilities to the whole community and vote for the mayoral and deputy mayoral positions on merit and experience; to deliver a high calibre team to guide the Hawkesbury's development over the
coming four years.
However Liberal and Liberal-aligned Councillors (“independents” Bob Porter and Warwick McKay), predictably voting on party lines, again delivered the Liberal team of Kim Ford and Tiffany Tree to the Council’s two top jobs.
After an impassioned move by Councillor Williams and a grim debate about allowing student documentary maker, Belinda Cone, to film the meeting, Councillors finally agreed to permit filming. However any brief sense of unanimity ceased with the next agenda item.
Ultimately a total of five non-Liberal Councillors walked out of the meeting and the packed public gallery was virtually emptied in support of those Councillors as community members cheered, clapped and then joined them outside the Council Chamber where an impromptu meeting was held.
The walk-out was triggered when genuinely independent Councillors, Christine Paine, Paul Rasmussen and Mary Lyons-Buckett, along with Councillor Leigh Williams (Greens) and Councillor Barry Calvert (Labor) were issued with the allocations for representation on Council Committees. These Councillors had been given no notice of the nature of Council Committees prior to the meeting; were not consulted over committee composition; and were instructed to vote on what was for them, a completely unacceptable and predetermined list, presented by the just-elected Deputy Mayor.
Councillor Christine Pain, with the highest personal vote in the area walked out of the meeting first, completely frustrated by the Liberal faction’s high-handed treatment of all non-Liberal membership of Council Committees; despite over 20 years of service to the community Councillor Paine was, except for a tokenistic role as the ‘alternative’ (or stand in) on two committees, completely eliminated from all Council committees.
All the Councillors who walked out were dismayed by the failure of the Deputy Mayor’s list to respect the experience, knowledge, historic involvement or indeed, availability of some Councillors whilst others, like just-elected Liberal Councillor, Mike Creed, admitted after the meeting he had been given the opportunity to nominate the committees he was interested in working with.
Later, a still-angry Councillor Paine said, “The dictatorial behavior of the Deputy Mayor and her Liberal supporters has dramatically weakened the Committee system. This approach means the Hawkesbury is not well-served by their elected Council representatives. Instead of getting the best people for each job, it’s a mate’s game.”
One of those community members who had addressed the the meeting, Fiona Smith, said, “I find it astounding a group of Liberal Councillors believe they have the right to pre-determine the allocation of Councillors to committees, without consultation or consideration of capability or interest. To remove Christine Paine, without consultation, from committees she has lead for almost 20 years is unprincipled and completely lacking in due process and transparency.”
“Not even a honeymoon period”, says a dismayed Councillor Leigh Williams. “It is a sad indication of what is in store for the Hawkesbury. Once again we have a Liberal bloc with no intention of looking after our community. They are entirely motivated by State Government policies and tonight they made a mockery of local democratic processes.”
Local resident and Chair of Community Action for Windsor Bridge (CAWB), Dail Miller said “Unfortunately this evening highlighted the total lack of respect some Councillors have for their community. This lack of respect can be seen in the way the previous council behaved regarding hugely important local issues like Thompson Square and the Windsor Bridge Replacement project.
Long-serving Councillor, Barry Calvert said, “This was a sad and disappointing day for the Hawkesbury community. We witnessed a council riding roughshod over the community it had just been elected to represent. I was hoping that with some new faces on the council we might have a council that put the community first and its own sectional interests last, but that is obviously not the case.
I was delighted to see a capacity crowd in the gallery tonight. In past years there have been few witnesses to the arrogant displays of some Councillors, but the large gallery tonight will spread the news about the council members who do not care about the general community!”
But it was newly-elected Councillor, Mary Lyons-Buckett who was perhaps most distressed by the evening’s events. “I entered my first Council meeting filled with hope and enthusiasm. I want to be part of a strong team of councillors working collectively to deliver better outcomes to the Hawkesbury people. My hopes were broken in a display which was nothing short of shameful, and which demonstrated the contempt of some Councillors for the very community they were elected to serve.”
After the walk-out the remaining Liberal and Liberal-aligned Councillors passed the Deputy Mayor’s Committee lists.
