By Kristy McDonald
BRIMBANK councillors are making allegations of their own, including racial bullying, party political motivation and public property damage, following the near-riot at Wednesday’s special council meeting.
Mayor Sam David said he was “very hurt” by allegations of political payback by those at the meeting, including councillors, and denied any such action by council.
“If they suggest that they are just grandstanding, trying to be heroes,” Cr David said.
“There is no politics here.”
Councillor Kathryn Eriksson stood by councillor Natalie Suleyman’s motion to move the meeting in camera, and said the discussion would possibly have returned to the council chambers at a later stage.
“We moved from the chamber because the meeting had been stacked in such a way that we probably wouldn’t have had a chance to have a proper meeting,” Cr Eriksson said.
“We probably should have come back after in camera from our point of view – but you were there – you saw the mood.
“We had valid reasons for going in camera.
“Because we’re dealing with issues that refer to specific groups, when we’re dealing with issues that refer to specific persons or such, it’s better in camera.”
When asked whether or not the council regularly made comments on the public record about “specific persons or such” in their everyday work, Cr Eriksson stated: “Depends on what you’re saying”.
She refused to elaborate further.
In a statement following the meeting, Cr Eriksson said the council held prima facie evidence that the Keilor Lodge Reserve had been misused for party political purposes and the council was investigating the matter.
Cr Eriksson said the attendance of Keilor MP George Seitz at Wednesday’s meeting and the disruption of the in camera meeting was in direct response to this investigation.
“The state Labor MP George Seitz broke into a duly constituted in camera meeting of the Brimbank Council and sought to intimidate councillors in the performance of their duties,” Cr Eriksson said.
“Mr Seitz was objecting to the council’s investigation of his misuse of council resources to improperly ‘stack’ branches of the Australian Labor Party in the city of Brimbank.”
Allegations that Mr Seitz and “his supporters” damaged council chambers and stole unfixed items located in the chamber have also been made.
Cr Eriksson told Star: “Door handles were physically broken and I’m told that moveable objects were taken from the chamber; council name tags – the one of the mayor – was taken, I was told that by administrative staff.”
Mr Seitz’s motives and operations of the Sydenham Soccer Club have also been questioned by councillor Marilyn Zukalski, who attended the in camera meeting on Wednesday and said she fully supported Cr Eriksson’s statement.
“The behaviour of the club and the other councillors (on Wednesday night) was bizarre,” Cr Zukalski said.
“I have been to that ground as an invited guest, I wanted to see for myself what the grounds were like, there were lots of concerns.
“The bureaucratic process is that I am here to talk on behalf of my community, to support my community in whatever I can.
“The usage and process of how the club was using that ground was my original request, and the investigation into this sports club by the council CEO should be an open and transparent process.
“I have already had threatening phone calls.”
Cr Zukalski said other clubs had expressed interest in sharing the Sydenham club’s ground and the debate on grounds allocation had to be moved in camera so discussion could take place.
“We were under the impression that there was going to be a lot of ramifications and bullying with the club there,” she said.
When questioned on the threats and other interested clubs, Cr Zukalski would not divulge the nature of the threats or the number of clubs expressing new interest in using local sports grounds.
Cr Suleyman did not respond to Star’s calls before deadline.
