Liberals on council hypocrisy on show
The “Better Council” campaign launched in the Eastern Suburbs and Inner West, supposedly targeting councillors who are overly focused on foreign policy, has apparently missed that in Woollahra Council it has been the Liberals repeatedly forcing debate on the ongoing genocide.
The Liberals on Woollahra Council have repeatedly brought motions about Israel, including one that has had the council fly the Israeli flag over council chambers at significant cost to the community.
Liberal Mayor Richard Shields brought motions to council on Israel on 9 October 2023, 8 July 2024 and 22 July 2024. One motion’s sole purpose appeared to be asserting the status quo in that council does not support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions program.
Quotes attributable to Dr Amanda Cohn MLC, Greens NSW spokesperson for Local Government and former Deputy Mayor of Albury Council:
“It’s a bizarrely misinformed campaign from this so-called Better Council group.
“We only have to look to Woollahra Council where every single motion relating to Israel and Palestine was moved by the Liberal Mayor.
“The Liberals brought these motions in large part to try and wedge Greens Councillors who, to their credit, stood firm and voted for human rights and international law.
“Maybe if the Mayor of Woollahra had been focused more on local issues, then he might have been able to do his job as State Director of the NSW Liberals and got his party’s council nomination forms in on time.
“On every occasion, Greens on council vote for human rights and international law. The Greens will always vote for human rights, whatever level of government they are representing, while getting on with invigorating local democracy and leading the way on issues that matter most to their communities,” said Dr Cohn.
Media contact: Josh Appleton - [email protected]