By Vanessa Chircop
A WAR of words has erupted between Hobsons Bay City Council and ExxonMobil – with Mobil’s General Manager and Refining Director calling on the council to gag its Deputy Mayor.
The exchange began in late March after the EPA hosted a meeting between concerned residents and Innova Soil Technologies.
After the meeting Deputy Mayor Tony Briffa called for the sacking of Altona resident and Mobil employee Maureen Short following allegations she “attacked” Friends of Kororoit Creek President Geoff Mitchelmore and himself for not attending the meeting.
In an email sent to Ms Short and other members of the community including Hobsons Bay CEO Bill Jaboor, Exxon Mobil employees, the EPA and Qenos employees – Cr Briffa expressed his outrage after hearing about Ms Short’s alleged comment through other residents who attended the meeting.
“No doubt this is going to make things interesting for my dealings with Mobil and the ACNCG (Altona Complex Neighborhood Consultative Group) given your role,” one email read.
“The gloves are now off”.
Star received a copy of a letter sent to CEO Bill Jaboor from Mobil’s General Manager and Refining Director Glenn Henson.
In the letter Mr Henson claimed Cr Briffa’s emails were “unprovoked”, “unprofessional” and “inappropriate”.
“I request that council advise Cr Briffa forthwith to cease making such personal attacks on individuals employed by Mobil and also cease providing gratuitous advise to Mobil as to whom it should and should not employ,” the letter read.
Cr Briffa has labelled Mr Henson’s complaint “complete nonsense” and stood by his emails.
“I regret a multinational company like Mobil is more focused on attacking me than they are on addressing the safety, environmental and amenity issues at their Altona refinery,” he said.
Ms Short said: “From my point of view Cr Tony Briffa has breached the code of conduct as a councillor, which he was signatory too – to defame and malign me personally as a resident was totally unprofessional. I urge the council and the councillors to reproach him and question his actions because the integrity of the council is a question here.”
