Ron Hoenig MP slams ‘dreadful’ Taste of Mascot festival
Heffron state Labor MP Ron Hoenig has called for the A Taste of Mascot event to be returned to its original venue — describing the current festival as “dreadful”.
Southern Courier
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Heffron state Labor MP Ron Hoenig has called for the A Taste of Mascot event to be returned to its original venue — describing the current festival as “dreadful”.
Mr Hoenig said the event had gone downhill since Bayside Council took over and called on council staff to hire external specialists instead of trying to organise it all in-house.
The Taste of Mascot event was first held in 2014. When operated by the former Botany council it was held in Bourke St with the help of an external event management company. Bayside Council — the amalgamation of Botany and Rockdale — now runs the event and has moved it to Mascot Memorial Park.
“I said it wouldn’t work and it didn’t,” Mr Hoenig said at Wednesday’s council meeting. “It was dreadful.
You need expertise. Botany Bay did not have the expertise … and as good as your event staff are they don’t have the artistic expertise to organise an event of that calibre.”
He said councillor Ed McDougall had approached Bayside staff in recent weeks to inquire about details of the event, only to face resistance to his questioning.
“Now I for the life of me can’t understand why an elected councillor gets resistance … I say to you Mr Mayor and elected councillors, you are in charge not the staff … don’t let the staff noble you, don’t let some staff threaten you indirectly.”
It is the second time in recent months the MP has issued a warning about council staff.
Some councillors spoke at the meeting to reject Mr Hoenig’s claims and stated the staff had their backing.
The council has previously said its events team has made vast savings — including $71,000 on the Mascot event — since taking over from Botany council. A report will be prepared for June 25 on the future of the event.
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