‘Don’t get stuck into the losers’: councillor calls out Alice Springs mayor over new library dispute

ALICE Springs town councillor Eli Melky accused Mayor Damien Ryan of “gaslighting” him

ALICE Springs town councillor Eli Melky suggested Mayor Damien Ryan had “gaslighted” him in a heated debate at Tuesday night’s council meeting.

During the exchange Mr Ryan refused to apologise for comments he made on radio about Mr Melky’s position on a scuppered business deal to build a new library at Alice Springs Plaza.

“I ask that you respond to the fact that I was actually quite upset by your comments that weren’t an accurate description (of my position),” Mr Melky said.

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“It made me sound pretty much like a fool to be honest, that I don’t know what I’m doing. I think there’s a new term on this — gaslighting, I think it’s called — where you undermine your opponent.

“You won the debate, you used your casting vote. You had no challenge from me on radio but you just kept laying in. I was a bit offended.

“Walk out like a gracious winner, don’t get stuck into the losers.”

These comments triggered a fiery back-and-forth, at the end of which Mr Melky pointed out that Mr Ryan still hadn’t apologised for his comments.

“There is no apology required when somebody doesn’t agree with your point of view,” Mr Ryan said.

The argument followed on from a debate at the last council meeting when Mr Melky failed to overturn a resolution that terminated the possibility of council entering into a business partnership with Alice Springs Property Syndicate to build a new library at Alice Springs Plaza. Council continues to explore other potential business deals with the plaza consortium, however.

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Mr Melky wanted to rescind this resolution and return council to a position where it could continue exploring the economic feasibility of relocating the existing library to a new site at the plaza, which is slated for a $50 million redevelopment.

As Councillor Marli Banks pointed out at the last meeting, the existing library is at capacity.

After Mr Melky’s bid failed because Mr Ryan used his casting vote to break the 4 v 4 deadlock on the matter, Mr Ryan went on ABC radio and said Mr Melky’s resolution “didn’t make any sense” because “it rescinded everything.”

Mr Ryan has previously said he strongly supports building a new library but not at the plaza site.