Inner West councillor Julie Passas: ‘Wall push was a joke to make parking point’
A Sydney councillor’s call for a wall to protect the Inner West from overcrowding was “all a big stunt” as she poked fun at her fellow councillors for taking it seriously.
Inner West
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A Liberal councillor’s push for a Donald Trump-style wall to keep non-local cars out of Sydney’s Inner West fell flat tonight.
Cr Julie Passas claimed she was just taking the mickey as she merely wanted to highlight the massive parking squeeze in the local area.
Her tongue-in-cheek proposal called for the council to use the same builder as the US President to put a wall up around the Inner West; motorists passing through would have to pay a “mobility tax”; and passports would be needed for non-locals.
The stunt in The Daily Telegraph on Monday went viral — and she rubbed it into her fellow councillors at tonight’s meeting.
“It’s amazing how many councillors thought I was serious,” she said.
“I can’t believe what has gone on since it was made known in the paper. Every single media outlet wanted to speak to me — and even wanted to fly me to Melbourne.
“Now, I know this motion has no merit whatsoever. Everybody’s welcome (in the Inner West). And whether you vote for this or not, it doesn’t matter, because I’ll be voting against it.”
Independent councillor Pauline Lockie said the motion “surely it has to be ruled out of order”.
In making his ruling, Mayor Darcy Byrne said: “I presume that when the council officers placed the motion on the business papers that their position was the motion was clearly satirical but not out of order.”
He then asked for a seconder to Cr Passas’ motion, but with no hands raised, he added: “The motion will lapse.”
And with that, the push for a great wall of the Inner West was blown to smithereens.