Jennifer Pittorino
Disappointed residents walked out of a Hobsons Bay council meeting, after a heated debate addressing a petition relating to the overseas conflicts seen in Palestine.
In its meeting on Tuesday, February 13, all councillors voted in favour to accept a petition calling for the council to show support for Palestine.
In the same item, councillor Tony Briffa tabled a notice of motion titled, ‘support for Hobsons Bay residents impacted by overseas conflict.’
Councillors Daria Kellander and Peter Hemphill abstained from voting as they didn’t support the written recommendation embedded with the petition.
“Council accepts petitions from members of our community every month,” Cr Kellander said.
“Council must resolve to receive the petition and refer the matter for a future report.”
In this instance a variation of business was written into the agenda to merge the petition with a notice of motion, which Cr Kellander said isn’t within protocol.
“The executive made the decision to bring this petition forward in line with their assessment of the governance rules,” she said.
“I believe the executive needs to follow the governance protocol like all other petitions and write their response to it.
“So I won’t be supporting the actual written recommendation that’s embedded within this.”
In a show of support for Cr Kellander’s speech, members of the gallery clapped and proceeded to heckle at other councillors.
A chant of “free, free Palestine” erupted in the chambers, followed by outcries that Hobsons Bay council has “blood on their hands”.
Members of the gallery said that the notice of motion does not address the petition.
The petition called on council to raise a motion which calls for an immediate and permanent ceasefire which they say was not addressed in Cr Briffa’s motion.
Several members of the gallery left before Cr Briffa spoke to the motion.
Cr Briffa spoke to her motion saying that the federal government is already calling for a ceasefire among other government bodies.
Cr Kellander reiterated her earlier message adding she is “disappointed” councillors haven’t received any “real advice” from the executive in response to the petition.
“I don’t believe that Cr Briffa’s notice of motion actually responds to the topic at hand.” she said.
In a back and forth debate, Cr Briffa said she has had discussions with various groups in preparation for putting the motion together and she is grateful to the Hobsons Bay community for their input.
