THE performance of Shellharbour Mayor Marianne Saliba on Monday night was nothing short of a disgrace.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It was conduct not becoming of any civic leader let alone a Mayor in another municipality’s council chambers.
Wollongong Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery was well within his rights to act the way he did in having his counterpart escorted from the Wollongong City Council Chambers.
The behaviour of the Shellharbour Mayor has done little to aid her own council’s cause.
Sure, the potential mergers is an emotive issue, but it should be the duty of our civic leaders to keep the debate civil and constructive as an example to the community.
Carrying on like a frog in a sock only adds weight to the Minister and Premier carrying through on their intended stance.
In fact, one could argue, it gives the Minister a perfect opportunity on seize control of the situation ahead of schedule.
Reporter Kate McIlwain captured the moment perfectly when breaking the story on Monday night.
Online at www.illawarramercury.com.au you can actually view the footage yourself.
Lord Mayor Gordon was giving some passionate and strong observations on the merger issue – after all it was his council meeting – when the major interjections came.
“We’ll all stick together you told me, and you lied, Gordon, you lied,” Mayor Saliba shouted.
“We’ll all stick together, you said. What a load of garbage.”
Mayor Saliba was then asked to leave the room.
It was a crude and disrespectful performance in someone else’s council chambers.
Lord Mayor Bradbery had been simply noting the noise out of Wollongong had been minimal against the merger proposer and he’s right.
The bulk of the noise has come from Shellharbour and much of it council inspired.
The fact many more people attend a community meeting in Kiama than a public rally in Shellharbour is a startling indicator.
However, both Wollongong and the Shellharbour councils are actually united against the merger proposal.
It's just the way one council has carried on it smacks of sheer desperation rather relying on sound, rational argument.