Auburn deputy mayor Salim Mehajer throws his support behind political foe

THE controversial deputy mayor has unexpectedly thrown his support behind one of his biggest rivals. Now they’re best of frenemies.

CONTROVERSIAL Auburn councillor Salim Mehajer has unexpectedly thrown his support behind a political rival.

Mr Mehajer, who runs as independent, has strongly defended Labor councillor Hicham Zraika who was expelled from the party after failing to vote for the ALP’s candidate in a ballot for deputy mayor which helped Mr Mehajer retain his position.

Speaking exclusively with news.com.au, Mr Mehajer said it was “appalling” Mr Zraika had been stripped of his Labor membership, accusing the party of stifling dissent.

The property developer, whose lavish wedding enthralled the nation, also said the western Sydney council was “one team” despite open warfare appearing to have broken out in the chamber with accusations of rank hypocrisy and one councillor even saying Mr Mehajer’s actions had sullied the name of all local government.

Mr Zraika, who had only just been reissued with his membership card following a six-month suspension after allegations of branch stacking, was expelled from the Labor Party for unworthy and disloyal conduct after his actions at a September council meeting.

Prior to a ballot held during the meeting, it seemed almost certain that Mr Mehajer would be defeated by one vote in his bid to be re-elected deputy mayor by Labor’s George Campbell.

But just before the election took place, Mr Zraika left the chamber and so failed to vote for his fellow Labor Party member. With the result tied, the general manager pulled Mr Mehajer’s name from a hat securing him a fourth term as deputy mayor, reported the Sydney Morning Herald.

APPALLING

“Cr Zraika’s views, from time to time, may not fall in line with others from his own party,” Mr Mehajer, who runs as an independent, told news.com.au

“I find it appalling that in our day and age, we are not allowed to express ourselves freely.”

“Why must he vote exactly the same as the other [Labor councillor]?

“Does this not create an unfair bias towards the party’s policies, even though he may disagree with them?” said Mr Mehajer, who has had a string of recent court appearances relating to driving offences and intimidation.

“We are one council, one team regardless of party [memberships] we hold.

But, it seems this message of unity might be a bit optimistic with Councillor Irene Simms of the accusing Mr Zraika of breaking an agreement to vote for his Labor colleague to oust Mr Mehajer.

Councillor Irene Simms from Auburn Council Photo: Andrew Murray

THROWN UNDER A BUS

Ms Simms told news.com.au that after the 2012 elections, five of the 10 councillors, including Mr Zraika, agreed they would all vote Mr Campbell for deputy mayor rather than Mr Mehajer. They would also vote for Councillor Semra Batik-Dundar, who along with Ms Simms represents the Residents Action Group (RAGAA) for Auburn Area, for mayor.

“That agreement had been honoured right up until then,” Ms Simms told news.com.au

“Him walking out the chamber is the only time it hasn’t been honoured.

“That one Labor councillor would do that to another Labor councillor is amazing,” she added.

“If Hicham Zraika had stayed, George Campbell would have been deputy mayor, not Salim Mehajer.

“He threw us under a bus,” Ms Simms said.

Following the meeting, Mr Campbell said “God has forsaken Auburn. Auburn Councillors have stuck their fingers up at the community,” reported the Daily Telegraph.

HYPOCRISY

Mr Zraika wouldn’t answer why he failed to vote for his own party’s candidate for deputy mayor but he told Fairfaxafter the election, “I couldn’t see myself voting for [Mr Campbell] to a leadership position because he has been running a negative campaign against the council”.

But speaking with news.com.au, he accused Ms Simms of hypocrisy for backing a planned motion, widely seen as a further attempt to put pressure on Mr Mehajer, that would call on the State Government to ban developers and estate agents from being councillors. This is despite Ms Simms supporting Ms Batik-Dundar, who works in the property industry, in her bid to be mayor.

“How could anyone take them seriously,” Mr Zraika said, “when they, on the one hand, want to ban real estate agents on councils and vote a real estate agent for mayor? Sheer hypocrisy.”

Ms Simms denied the claim and said Mr Zraika was “trying to deflect attention from his actions” that lead him to being expelled. She added that RAGAA would not field an estate agent again regardless of any law changes.

Mr Mehajer has criticised the motion for being out of council’s remit.

Slim Mehajer, deputy mayor of Auburn, departs Burwood Local Court, in Sydney, earlier this month. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts.

Ms Batik-Dundar said she worked for, rather than owned, an estate agent and had made a deliberate decision to work with developers as little as possible due to a potential clash with her council role. She said she would continue to marry her day job and council position, even if the proposal passed, and would only resign her real estate role if she became mayor.

Asked if the continued scrutiny on Mr Mehajer’s activities was leading people to see Auburn in a negative light, Ms Simms replied: “It has certainly been detrimental to the council but also detrimental to local government generally”.

However, she was doubtful he would leave council of his own accord.

“There is nothing that will make him resign. He will resign only if he is forced to.”

But Mr Mehajer was unrepentant about his re-election to the council’s second most important role, telling news.com.au, “clearly, George Campbell isn’t fit for the job as deputy mayor”.

“I’ve been deputy mayor for four years now; it is clear that my fellow councillors are satisfied with my work.”