Hobart City Council: Aldermen walkout to stop debate on climate emergency

UPDATED: Hobart councillors have resorted to insults after a walkout stopped debate on a motion to declare a climate change emergency.

UPDATED: Hobart councillors have resorted to insults after a walkout stopped debate on a motion to declare a climate change emergency.

As the fallout from last night’s drastic tactic continues, several elected members have taken the dispute to social media.

Cr Zelinda Sherlock questioned the integrity of the aldermen who walked out in a Facebook post, while Cr Holly Ewin said she was disgusted at the “childish behaviour”.

Ald Marti Zucco, who was absent during last night’s shenanigans, fired back on Cr Ewin’s post to say supporters of the motion had no understanding of the purpose of emergency motions.

“It’s for really urgent matters that cannot wait. Not to prop up the leftist agenda,” his comment read.

All three aldermen — Jeff Briscoe, Damon Thomas and Simon Behrakis — that walked out on the council meeting to stop debate on whether Cr Bill Harvey’s climate and biodiversity emergency motion was urgent, have defended their actions.

With three of the council’s 12 elected members already absent from the meeting, the trio left the chamber to force suspension of debate with a quorum no longer reached.

Ald Briscoe said the motion tried to subvert the good process of full debate in council committees where members are not limited by five minute speeches.

He said it could have an effect on the council’s strategic plan and budget allocation and needed a full analysis.

Alderman Jeff Briscoe. Picture: MATHEW FARRELL

Alderman Marti Zucco was absent from last night’s meeting. Picture: MATHEW FARRELL

“Council has a proud history of being a leader in climate change,” Ald Briscoe said.

“We’re actually on the ground doing things. That’s far better than having a gesture motion.”

He also issued a warning to his colleagues to keep personal comments out of the debate.

“To say we had no integrity is disappointing,” Ald Briscoe said.

Cr Harvey said he will defer his motion until all members return from leave.

Ald Briscoe and Zucco said this demonstrated it wasn’t an urgent motion and was taking advantage of people being away.

“What the three aldermen did last night was justified and I would have done the same knowing full well the Hobart City Council is a leader in this domain,” Ald Zucco said.

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He said the motion was a “farce and political stunt” and council already had a climate change policy and strategic plan that was being reviewed soon.

In an interview on ABC Radio this morning, Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds defended the motion.

“This is about the very genuine concern that people have about carbon dioxide emissions which are at a very high level,” she said.

“All over the world there is a push from governments to declare a climate emergency and this was simply a motion to do that.”

Ald Harvey also defended the motion and said it was within council regulations.

He said it was urgent to adhere to the time frame to submit similar motions at the Local Government Association of Tasmania and the Australian Local Government Association.

Some aldermen also believe the Greens will look to introduce the same motion on the floor of state parliament.

EARLIER: One motion at last night’s Hobart City Council meeting proved so contentious it prompted a walkout by three members to stop the debate.

The council was debating whether to debate Councillor Bill Harvey’s climate and biodiversity emergency motion when aldermen Jeff Briscoe, Damon Thomas and Simon Behrakis got up and left the chamber.

With three of the council’s 12 elected members already absent from the meeting, a quorum was no longer reached.

Alderman Simon Behrakis. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

Hobart City Council Alderman Damon Thomas. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

Council general manager Nick Heath suspended the debate and Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds adjourned the meeting for 10 minutes to speak with the deserting trio.

The motion will now be debated at the next City Planning Committee meeting but Cr Harvey said he may defer it until all members return from leave.

Cr Harvey labelled the action a “poor showing”.

“I’ve never seen such a weak stance by aldermen,” he said.

“To walk out on a debate in order to stop the debate, I’ve never seen it happen before.

“It’s very undemocratic to not let debate happen.”

Councillor Bill Harvey. Picture: MATHEW FARRELL

Cr Harvey said he hoped it wouldn’t become a tactic to avoid future debates.

Ald Behrakis said the trio acted because the motion was announced once it was clear some aldermen would be away.

“To try push this through on a night where they know they might have the numbers smacks of cynical politicking,” he said.

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“This is a serious enough issue to be debated properly.”

Cr Harvey denied the allegation and said the absences of Deputy Lord Mayor Helen Burnet and Alderman Marti Zucco constituted a pair, but Alderman Tanya Denison was a last-minute apology.

The motion was for the council to affirm its commitment to “addressing catastrophic climate change and biodiversity loss through its ongoing policies, strategies and leadership by supporting the declaration of a climate and biodiversity emergency”.

Council would write to Prime Minister Scott Morrison urging him to declare a climate and biodiversity emergency, and submit urgency motions at the Local Government Association of Tasmania and the Australian Local Government Association to try to achieve the same declaration.

It would have also seen the declaration acknowledged in the council’s new strategic plan.

Ald Thomas said the action was regrettable but “the end justified the means” to allow the motion to go through the proper process.

“We were asked to make a political statement based on one person’s theory of the world,” he said.

“With just 75 per cent of the numbers there.”

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