Onkaparinga Mayor Lorraine Rosenberg labels fellow councillors ‘gutless wonders’
ONKAPARINGA Mayor Lorraine Rosenberg has launched an extraordinary attack on her fellow councillors, labelling them “gutless wonders”.
ONKAPARINGA Mayor Lorraine Rosenberg has launched an extraordinary attack on her fellow councillors, labelling them “gutless wonders” while praising the respect given to local government in socialist-ruled China.
Fresh from a trade mission to the People’s Republic, Mayor Rosenberg took to Facebook to lash out at criticism of her LGA-funded trip overseas – and the furore still surrounding the council’s controversial payment of a $6818 golf membership fee to CEO Mark Dowd.
In a series of online posts, an angry Ms Rosenberg was still seething over the golf saga, accusing Onkaparinga councillors of not taking responsibility for the decision to pay Mr Dowd’s fee.
“ ... a few gutless wonders are unable to admit their part in the (golf) decision and are happy for the mayor to take the fall,” she said.
Ms Rosenberg’s comments were aimed at a Onkapringa ratepayer voicing her online disapproval of the Mayor’s visit to China.
The ratepayer posted an accompaying story of her trip which had been published in The Advertiser last week.
Ms Rosenberg, who is also president of the Local Government Association, responded: “Local gov is much more highly respected in China than here and has a higher impact.
“Your ignorance of factual information astounds even me and I thought I had seen the best until now.”
The Advertiser revealed in February that the council had paid CEO Mr Dowd’s $6818 Kooyonga Golf Club membership and detailed secrecy behind the payment.
The China trip included Ms Rosenberg’s self-funded attendance at the weekend Port Adelaide AFL game in Shanghai.
Former councillor and moderator of the Facebook page City of Onkaparinga Council Watch, Yvonne Wenham, said criticisms of fellow councillors and ratepayers were unfair.
“There is no place in local government for this atrocious, belittling unaccountable behaviour. The time is nigh, get her out of there,” she said.
“This is not leadership, this is like some kind of childish tantrum of someone incapable of being accountable for their choices.”
Ms Rosenberg also took to Facebook to defend her record, saying that she:
PAID for tickets herself to the Port Adelaide football game in Shanghai.
WAS invited to visit China as part of a trade mission by the State Government to promote SA.
ATTENDED a Taste Australia expo and meetings on behalf of Fleurieu Regional Development Authority while in China.
REPRESENTED Onkaparinga at the opening of a research centre and product commercialisation centre.
Her Facebook comments included: “I will continue to do everything I can to grow investment for Onkaparinga business and as LGA president, SA business more generally.”
The Advertiser tried to contact Ms Rosenberg for comment but was told by Onkparinga Council that “the organisation is not responding to this matter and the mayor is unavailable”.
Ms Rosenberg’s criticisms were made despite such attacks being forbidden under the South Australian local government code of conduct.
It says that all elected representatives must “endeavour to establish and maintain a respectful relationship with all Council members, regardless of differences of views and opinions’’.