Inner West Council to debate international politics before local issues

A woke inner-city Sydney council has been told to fix its traffic problems first, after it decided to table a motion on nuclear submarines in NSW waters.

A woke inner city Sydney council has decided to dabble in international politics – with a debate planned over banning nuclear subs in NSW waters – but it’s been told to fix its traffic problems first.

The Inner West Council also wants to get in touch with PM Scott Morrison over a “code red” climate emergency, just one of a plethora of activist causes and identity politics it has planned for its latest meeting.

Yet the Green-led council spends 20 per cent more on bureaucracy than comparable councils and just 7 per cent of its budget on roads, footpaths and bridges, compared to an 18 per cent average for NSW, the Australian Taxpayers’ Alliance says.

Then-Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (C) standing on the deck of HMAS Waller, a Collins-class submarine, in 2018. Picture: AFP

Councillors will debate writing to Mr Morrison and Defence Minister Peter Dutton next Tuesday, opposing the subs in the Sydney Harbour and NSW waters, ­because of the “risks to life”.

But Independent Councillor Victor Macri said councils were not designed to debate international issues.

And the free market think tank the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) say Australians are sick of spending their money on “woke causes”.

“Local councils are elected to look after your local streets,” Mr Macri said. “And they’re  not  doing a good job at that. It has to be locally focused.

Inner West Independent Councillor Victor Macri at Petersham Park ANZAC Gate.

“All our energies should be looking at the traffic problem of 15 local streets being impacted by a new Bunnings at Tempe.

“Not nuclear submarines. I’m not privy to all the information, we have an elected body called the federal Government and it held briefings for the opposition.”

A spokesman for the Australian Taxpayers’ Alliance said because of the area’s demographic “it was not surprising the Inner West Council was heavily focused on niche elite topics such as pronouns, anti-nuclear activism and climate alarmism”.