Gympie mayor shocks with ‘licence hunt aborigine’ analogy

A Qld mayor has been forced to apologise after making an analogy about ‘licences to hunt aborigines’ to illustrate a lagging bureaucracy in a council workshop. VIDEO

Gympie Mayor Glen Hartwig said there was “no ill-intent” to his use of an controversial analogy about alleged historical licences “hunt aborigines’ which sparked condemnation from another councillor during a workshop meeting of the council.

Mr Hartwig made the analogy in response to concerns of his criticism of the Gympie planning scheme, claiming legislation only 50 years ago still allowed people to “get a licence to go and hunt aborigines”.

“It’s like legislation, and I’ve used the analogy before … up until 1974 I believe you could still get a licence to go and hunt aborigines,” Mr Hartwig said.

Councillor and former mayor Mick Curran swiftly condemned the analogy as “probably crossing the line now”.

Mr Hartwig defended himself, saying it “goes to show society has moved well and truly way out in front of where the legislation was at”.

Mr Curran then said he was “probably a bit uncomfortable having that discussion, Mr Mayor”.

Mr Hartwig responded: “What I’m saying is a planning scheme is similar to that in often society has moved, or a community has moved to a point...”

Mr Curran said: “I think the murder of our First Nations people doesn’t correlate with the parking situation.”

Gympie Mayor Glen Hartwig came to regret his analogy in a council workshop that 50 years ago people could still “get a licence to go and hunt aborigines”.

Mr Hartwig tried to interrupt, saying “that is not my point” while Mr Curran continued saying “the analogy has been raised”, at which point Mr Hartwig tried to cut the councillor off saying “I am the chair. Enough!”

He then banged his gavel several times on the desk as Mr Curran tried to continue, saying “I am the chair. I have the floor. I am more than willing to hear you speak but when I ask you not to, you have to abide by that”.

Mystery $1.6 million Lotto winner found after 39 days

‘Bloody rabble’: Readers have say on historic post-election LNP split

The pair then began debating whether it was the Mayor or council CEO Robert Jennings who was the chair of the workshop — not an ordinary meeting — and which standing orders applied.

“I feel uncomfortable an analogy has been drawn about a parking complaint, with the murder of First Nations people,” Mr Curran continued.

“I’d like that to stop.”

Gympie Mayor Glen Hartwig said “in hindsight there would have been a better analogy to use but I can’t turn back time now”. Picture: Christine Schindler

Mr Hartwig then clarified he was not “suggesting in any way that your representations are what I was saying”.

“I was saying, and using the analogy, that the legislation was inappropriate and behind society, and that often planning schemes are behind the community,” Mr Hartwig said.

“We have to find a way to keep those documents up with where society is at,” he said.

“That was the intent.

“If I caused you offence I’m sorry.

“I did not intend to cause you offence, I simply wanted to use that to explain how society moves beyond legislation.”

Mr Curran accepted and thanked the Mayor for his apology and said he was “happy to move on”.

On Thursday, Mr Hartwig said “in hindsight there would have been a better analogy to use but I can’t turn back time now”.

He said the analogy and claim itself was one which he first heard at a lecture in 1992 at the Queensland Police Academy.

Mr Hartwig reiterated it was raised only as a way to illustrate how far behind the times legislation could be with community expectations.

Mr Curran was also approached for comment on Thursday.

Originally published as Gympie mayor shocks with ‘licence hunt aborigine’ analogy