Canterbury-Bankstown deputy mayor Clare Raffan blasts poor decorum during library debate
Internal tensions within a southwest Sydney council have boiled over in the latest meeting with the deputy mayor spraying councillors “acting like kids” during a debate about a new library.
The Express
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Internal tensions within a southwest Sydney council have boiled over in the latest meeting with the deputy mayor spraying councillors “acting like kids” during a debate about a new library.
Canterbury-Bankstown councillors debated an item about the WestInvest program where council was allocated over $30m for 13 projects, including $10m to deliver a library and dedicated arts and culture precinct in Campsie.
Independent councillor Barbara Coorey did not support the item and said the project was a “waste of taxpayers money and a waste of developer’s money”.
“Residents don’t accept the fact this council is moving a perfectly built library … now we’re going to shut it down and waste taxpayers money,” she said.
Former mayor Khal Asfour hit back at Ms Coorey and said a “library built in 1991 won’t be suitable for the community in 2023”.
“She continues to criticise decisions of this council and former councils when it suits her personal agenda in the lead up to the council elections next year,” he said.
“And I said council elections because councillor Coorey will never go to parliament.”
Ms Coorey interjected “you never will either” and told Mr Asfor “you might join One Nation” before apologising.
“If anyone in this chamber is close to joining One Nation, I know who it is, but I won’t say their name because they’ll think it’s defamation,” Mr Asfour said.
Labor deputy mayor Clare Raffan stepped in and called on her fellow council members to “allow people to have the floor for five minutes without being interrupted”.
“Can we please have some decorum in this chamber of which we are elected? We’re not school kids, we’re adults,” she said.
“If you want to act like kids, go down to the park … I’ll come down and referee.”
Ms Raffan said it’s “simply unedifying” to have councillors yelling across the room when it wasn’t their turn.
“We hold a privileged position of being elected to represent the community, not to use this place as a platform for future campaigns for the election, political point scoring or finger pointing,” she said.
“I’ve had a gut full of it. If it wasn’t for a breach of the code of conduct I’d be swearing right now.”
It comes after both Ms Coorey and Mr Asfour were chastised by mayor Bilal El-Hayek earlier in the meeting to stop interrupting each other during their debate on previous items.
Ms Coorey was also given two formal warnings for statements imputing Labor councillors were caucusing on an item regarding the rezoning of peace park.
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