Northern Beachs Council may drop using ‘Mr’, ‘Mrs’ and ‘Madam’ in meetings

A push is on for a Sydney council to drop gender terms like ‘Mr’ and “Madam” when councillors refer to each other in meeting so people won’t be offended.

Northern Beaches Council is looking at dropping the use of gender terms such as “Mr”, “Mrs” and “Madam”, when councillors speak to each other at meetings.

One councillor said at Tuesday night’s council meeting that the “gendered” language should be removed so people would not be “offended”.

Your Northern Beaches Independent councillor Sarah Grattan was speaking during a discussion on a motion to put draft new council meeting rules, released by the NSW Government, on public exhibition.

The Dee Why Civic Centre where Northern Beaches Council debated the use of gender appropriate terms on Tuesday night. Picture: Manly Daily

Ms Grattan said that in the proposed meeting code, there was a section on how to address others at council meetings.

“It’s full of very gendered references. It’s all about Mr Mayor, or Mrs Mayor, Mr Chairperson, Mrs Chairperson.

“A lot of those gender terms I find completely unnecessary.

“I suggest we take out those gendered references and just refer to “mayor” and “chair”.

“It might seem a bit silly now, but as we talk about more inclusivity, going forward … it is just an unnecessary addition.

Cr Sarah Grattan wants to take out gender terms like ‘Mr and “Mrs” during council meetings. Picture: Supplied.

“We can take them out, then we don’t need to offend anybody and we don’t need to refer to anybody as Mr or Mrs, or Mr or Madam,” Ms Grattan said.

Other councillors moved an amendment, that was passed, to allow residents have a say on the “appropriateness of the gendered language in the mode of address”.

Liberal councillor Rory Amon was opposed to the amendment, saying he “quite liked the history and the tradition” of the current way of addressing others at council meetings.

Your Northern Beaches Independent councillor Jose Menano-Pires said he would feel “extremely uncomfortable” dropping the use of “Mr Mayor” when addressing the Mayor Michael Regan.

Northern Beaches Councillor Bianca Crvelin said using the terms “Mr” and “Madam” was a sign of respect. Picture: Northern Beaches Council

Liberal councillor Bianca Crvelin said while she was “all for breaking the bias” the use of the terms Mr and Madam was a sign of respect towards the person in the role as mayor.

Independent councillor Vincent De Luca supported the move to put the matter out for public consultation.

“As we know there is great debate in society on diversity, be it intergender, transgender etc and some people may people may want a particular title, “he”, “she”,” Mr De Luca told the meeting.

“I think we are opening up a bit of a minefield.

Northern Beaches Councillor Vincent De Luca said the gender term issue was “opening up a bit of a minefield.” Picture: Northern Beaches Council

“(But) in an all the years and decades that most of us around the chamber have given, no one has ever objected to being called either councillor, when a chair, or even by their first name.

“We’ve never stuck to formality.”

Mr De Luca reminded the meeting that in the NSW parliament some MPs refuse to use the terms Mr or Madam Speaker or Mr or Madam President.

“We’ve got to live in society. If someone accidentally calls someone ‘Michael’ or whatever, I don't see a problem.

“But I do think that instead of making a hard and fast rule on gender politics, and everything else, let’s put it out to the community and see what they say.”