Liberal Party fallout after Parramatta councillors not endorsed for elections
The fallout from dumping the Liberals from Parramatta Council has exploded with claims it is undemocratic, while Labor councillors say they are just happy not to have state agendas ‘pushed down our throats’.
NSW
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The fallout from dumping the Liberals from Parramatta Council has been blamed on “savage internal politics’’ and fears over “brand damage” while the ALP has welcomed the Liberals’ absence in the chamber after four years of pushing their agenda in local government.
Last week, the Liberal Party head office, known as the state executive, turned its back on endorsing Liberal councillors across NSW, including Parramatta, Cumberland and the Hills.
That included Parramatta Lord Mayor Steven Issa and Martin Zaiter, who are part of the state executive.
The insults flew at Parramatta’s Monday meeting when one-time Liberal member and independent Andrew Wilson moved a motion for the council to condemn the Liberal Party’s actions on the council.
The motion was unsuccessful but attacks on the Liberal Party’s decision drew a lively debate.
Cr Wilson said the Liberals were being undemocratic not to endorse candidates and blamed “savage internal politics”.
“It is just completely and totally ridiculous,’’ he said.
“I am quite offended that members of this council, and members of the Liberal Party state executive, are treated in this fashion,’’ he said.
Liberal Bill Tyrrell, who will run for Blacktown Council as an independent, said he was offended by Cr Wilson’s “utter low attack’' and “cheap shot” and accused him of trying to win Liberal votes.
But Cr Wilson hit back despite admiring Cr Tyrrell’s “loyalty to these people who have kicked you in the shins”.
“When your party falls flat on its face, it shows tremendous disregard for its own traditions and a complete clumsiness you have to expect someone in politics is going to point that out,’’ he said.
Labor’s Donna Davis welcomed the absence of Liberals after pushing their policies “down our throats”.
“For four years this chamber has had to tolerate the poking and prodding of State Government policies and we've had an agenda that’s focused on State Government policy from day one, from 2017,’’ she said.
“It’s been four years when the state government has pushed their agenda through this chamber — whether or not it be through the demolition of Willow Grove to make way for the Powerhouse or carving off more of Parramatta Park for a swimming pool, whether or not it be the installation of the light rail that goes nowhere … whether or not it be the proposal for a Sydney Metro West that doesn’t even stop in western Sydney further than Westmead, and doesn’t provide us with an opportunity to have a station at Camellia where we’re actually expected to grow our city …,’’ she said.
“All of those issues are all thanks to what has been pushed through to this chamber in the guise of Liberal Party policy and it's no wonder that they’ve decided they’re going to walk away because they realise the community is so angry.’’
She also blasted the Liberals for failing to listen to the community outcry over demolishing heritage-listed Willow Grove to make way for the Powerhouse Museum.
“Did anybody listen? No they didn’t. They just pushed and pushed their agenda and their policy on to us.’’
Liberal Andrew Jefferies, who announced he would not recontest the next election before the state executive decision was made last week, criticised more Labor representation as “no growth, no building, 100 per cent heritage before anything else, no playgrounds being built, no more footpaths being built, it’s all going to go down the drain”.
He blamed the reputation of some councillors behind the move to not endorse them again.
“In certain wards, in certain parts of the LGA, I would suspect that there is real concern about brand damage with a candidate or candidates,’’ he said.
“I’m not going to divulge any further but you can draw your own conclusions.’’
In August, former mayor Lord Mayor Bob Dwyer blasted the council for being dysfunctional.
He blamed the chamber for “factional silliness’’ that left him feeling trapped and he decided to quit but has since reversed that decision and will run as an independent in the North Rocks ward.
During his two years as mayor, he has part of a chamber that witnessed Liberal Cr Benjamin Barrak launch legal action against the council and sue Cr Wilson.
The long-running defamation case was launched after Cr Wilson ejected Cr Barrak from a council meeting for comments he made.
The matter remains before the civil courts.
In a separate matter, the lawyer was charged with stalking and intimidation for allegedly intimidating a Lakemba shopkeeper over an alleged factional dispute.
The matter remains before the courts and Cr Barrak has not entered a plea.
In July, Liberal Cr Zaiter unsuccessfully launched legal action against his own party in the NSW Supreme Court claiming it had mismanaged the preselection process that allowed the state executive to preselect candidates instead of branches.
Cr Dwyer will run in the North Rocks ward with Georgina Valjak and Rob Mashford “to ensure a Liberal voice on council’'.
“Parramatta is the future of CBD’s expansion, and the coalition government has invested billions of dollars into the area” Cr Dwyer said before the council meeting this week.
“The idea not to run Liberals in the upcoming elections disenfranchises those thousands of people in the local area who rely on us to advocate for their voice.”
Former Parramatta Liberal councillor Jean Pierre Abood will run as an independent for the Epping ward.
The Liberal Party state executive has been contacted for comment.
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