David Elliott hits back at Cumberland Mayor Steve Christou

The senior MP who called for a western Sydney mayor to resign over his Nazi comments has blasted him again for ‘telling porkies’ about his office while expressing his ‘horror’ over his political goals.

Cumberland Mayor Steve Christou has refused to resign after a Twitter post comparing Sydney’s lockdown to the Nazi regime, but has apologised for the comments that prompted a senior MP to call for him to stand down.

A frustrated Police Minister David Elliott called for the controversial mayor to resign, just days after he called him out for accusing Julia Finn for hiding in her lounge room during the pandemic.

Cr Christou said: “I apologise sincerely and unreservedly for any hurt caused regarding my comments. I was not trying to offend anyone. I am expressing the despair of my community.

“I was also trying to highlight that, bit by bit, our freedoms are being taken away from us. I should have used a different example and I admit I am feeling emotional and angry on behalf of my community because I am hearing their stories every day.’’

But he has refused to resign.

“The people who are criticising me do not understand that I am advocating for the needs of my community who are telling me they are desperate,’’ he said.

“My community is the most vulnerable in NSW and has suffered dearly throughout this whole ordeal. Who is to speak up for them?

Mayor Steve Christou’s tweet. Picture: Twitter

On Monday, Mr Elliott also hit back at the mayor’s comments during a Sunday television interview that accused his office of ignoring him.

But Mr Elliott said his inquiries were related to vaccine centres and Service NSW inquiries, outside the police portfolio.

“He’s been caught out telling porkies given my office had spoken to him numerous times last week,’’ Mr Elliott said.

“Last week he rings my office three times. My chief-of-staff spoke to him a couple of times and he’s like ‘I love David, I think he’s fantastic, I just want him to do these things for me’.

“He kept telling my chief-of-staff how much he liked me. I’ve never met the bloke. I only know him from his offensive social media posts.

“My chief of staff said to him ‘Steve, what you’re asking for is outside the police portfolio and you’re not even in David’s electorate so can you please get council to refer it to the relevant ministers?

“And then a couple of my friends who monitor him on social media sent me his tweet likening us to fascists and Nazi Germany.’’

Mr Elliott condemned the mayor’s behaviour.

“No other mayor is behaving like that. Some of them are quite rightly frustrated but they’re not going around calling Gladys and I Nazis. They’re not going around likening the State Government to Zimbabwe.’’

Cr Christou wants to run against incumbent Granville Labor MP Julia Finn in next year’s state polls.

“I think he believes that he can (win),’’ Mr Elliott said.

“I’d be horrified if he did. Given his behaviour over the course of the pandemic it would be a bad reflection on the community if he got more than five per cent (of the vote) as far as I’m concerned.’’

Mr Elliott clashed with the mayor, who serves the Granville ward, last week when he threw cold water on claims that Ms Finn was hiding in her lounge room during lockdow

MP BREAKS SILENCE

Granville state Labor MP Julia Finn has broken her silence on Cumberland Mayor Steve Christou for issuing what she claims is “pointless, spiteful rubbish” about how she spends her time in lockdown.

Cr Christou has issued almost daily statements about the coronavirus while attacking state MPs for staying at home in their “lounge rooms using social media overtime while residents are trying to work out how to pay for their next meal”.

This included singling out Ms Finn during a television interview on Sky News on July 26 when being asked about residents’ despair in the hard-hit Cumberland community.

He complained about how state MPs continued to receive full pay while residents suffered.

“A lot of them are staying at home like my local state member, Julia Finn, who I haven’t heard of (sic) personally, saying ‘How’s your community going, let’s work together’ posting about the Olympics on social media. It’s disgraceful.’’

Cumberland Mayor Steve Christou has launched repeated attacks on MPs, particularly Julia Finn. Picture: Monique Harmer

On Friday, when 291 cases were recorded in NSW, the council’s media unit issued a statement on behalf of the mayor that said: “At the moment we’re on a road to nowhere. This is while the local state members are home in their lounge rooms using social media overtime while residents are trying to work out how to pay for their next meal.”

The prolific Twitter user also made remarks on August 6.

“If locking down the state and ruining people’s lives was not bad enough, our local state members hide in their lounge rooms on full pay posting on social media.”

Ms Finn claimed the comments were defamatory to state MPs in the Cumberland community — Hugh McDermott, Linda Voltz and Guy Zangari.

Granville state Labor MP Julia Finn has defended herself against the mayor’s comments. Picture: Monique Harmer

Ms Finn, who is also the opposition sports spokeswoman, also defended herself against posting about the Olympics.

“I’m the shadow minister for sport so it’s ridiculous to suggest I shouldn’t make posts about the Olympics,’’ she said.

“Everyone I know except the mayor is cheering on the Australian team and their success is a very welcome distraction from the uncertainty and fear of lockdown.

“Almost every day I’ve used my social media channels to warn of local Covid exposure sites and let people know the financial support available to them.

“I’ve also joined in getting these messages out to our multicultural communities through Zoom and social media.’’

Ms Finn has also worked with OzHarvest and Turbans 4 Australia packing food hampers. “There is massive demand for this support,’' she said.

“Every day I’m trying to help people navigate support and get through this. I’ve been lobbying ministers’ offices constantly about the impact on schools, increased policing and the difficulties with business support. I’ve also been meeting most of the 90 registered sports and many NSW youth groups via Zoom. Occasionally I take a break and watch the Olympics.

“I am primarily working from home during lockdown like so many of us living in the hard lockdown zone.’’

Ms Finn said it was ironic that while lashing out at her social media use, he posted on Twitter three times on August 6 to complain about them, and criticised Cr Christou’s use of getting council employees to send statements attacking MPs.

“I can’t believe he has staff send out this pointless, spiteful rubbish,’’ she said.

The mayor’s comments have even prompted senior Liberal MP and Police Minister David Elliott to defend Ms Finn.

“It’s a bit rich suggesting she’s hiding under a bed because I can give you an ironclad guarantee she’s been on the phone to me three times a day,’’ he said.

One of Cumberland Mayor Steve Christou's August 6 tweets.

“I’m not going to sit here and let her cop that. I don’t think there’s a day that goes by where I don’t speak to western Sydney MPs.’’

David Elliott is not impressed with Steve Christou’s comments. Picture: Jeremy Piper

As well as the council’s media unit, an external public relations firm sends out Cr Christou’s comments.

Asked why an external public relations firm was used as well as the media unit, a Cumberland Council spokeswoman said the council’s relationship with suppliers was commercially confidential but the council regularly used third parties to ensure “we have clear, accurate and concise messages delivered to our diverse community”.

“We use third parties including social media platforms, graphic designers, community groups and media (mainstream and non-English media) to convey these messages. We want our communications to be dynamic and engaging and to create an open dialogue with our community, which is why we use a variety of channels and third parties.’’

The spokeswoman said the council “acknowledged the advocacy provided by all state government MPs on behalf of the Cumberland community.

“Council looks forward to continuing to build these relationships that will benefit the Cumberland community now and well into the future.’’

Ms Finn shot back: “If they look forward to it, why are they sending statements like that?”

The mayor, who is an Our Local Community councillor, sensationally quit the Labor Party two years ago after citing the party’s left-wing politics on issues such as climate change and losing touch with battlers leading to his exit.

However, it is understood Labor’s preference was for councillor Lisa Lake to run for mayor, prompting Cr Christou to exit the party.

He has had a long-running rivalry with Ms Finn.

In November 2019, the Granville ward councillor declared he would run against her for the state job if she did not stand aside in 2022, saying the area “deserved better’’.

“If Ms Finn’s standing at the next election you can bank on me standing then and I will be active in the next three years to make sure she’s not given a free ride,’’ he said.

At the time, Ms Finn was under investigation for branch stacking but the allegations proved untrue.

Ms Finn said: “I’m certainly not intimidated running an election against someone so unpopular but it’s really not appropriate for council staff to be issuing statements like that.’’

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