Former deputy mayor speaks out after sacking

by GRACE JOHNSON

Almost three weeks after his removal as Deputy Mayor, Councillor Ludovico Fabiano has continued to receive community support for his reinstatement. 

On October 17, Waverley Council voted on a motion to condemn the Hamas attacks on Israel and give $10,000 to Jewish organisations in the area.

Former Deputy Mayor Fabiano, together with fellow Greens councillor Dominic Wy Kanak, put forward an amendment to also condemn the “war crimes perpetrated by a right‐wing Israeli government, including the bombing of Palestinian civilians.”

The amendment further called “all perpetrators to be held accountable for their actions in accordance with international law” and “an immediate ceasefire between all parties and an end to the war in Gaza”.

The week after, council called an extraordinary meeting, where Cr Fabiano was voted out of his position as deputy mayor. Cr Kanak was also removed from several committees for having supported the motion. 

A petition to reinstate Cr Fabiano as Deputy Mayor has received over 1,600 signatures on change.org. 

Former deputy mayor speaks out

Cr Fabiano spoke to City Hub, saying “I have received hundreds of messages of support from people in Waverley and beyond.”

“The Waverley community that I represent are dismayed at the decision of councillors to support a motion so one-sided, and then to move to dismiss Cr WY Kanak and myself for our support for a more balanced view,” he continued. 

“Although the situation in Israel/Palestine is not the domain of local government, I am reassured that there are many people in our community who recognise the complexity of the issues and reject the use of violence against civilians by all parties in this conflict.”

Cr Fabiano said although he was disappointed by those decisions and by the process that was used, he will continue as a councillor to represent the people of Waverley.

“I will continue to stand up for the Greens positions of peace, non-violence and justice for all the people and the calls for an immediate ceasefire,” he said. 

Community response

While many called for the removal of Cr Fabiano as Deputy Mayor prior to the extraordinary council meeting on October 26, including creating a petition calling for his dismissal, some were concerned about what the move would mean for speaking out about human rights.

On the day of the extraordinary meeting, President of New South Wales Council for Civil Liberties (NSWCCL) released a statement, saying:

“This motion signifies a very concerning slide towards silencing those whose views may not conform with those who wield political power. There is no place in Australia for this to be normalised. Attempts to curtail or use any political processes to shut down dissenting views is undemocratic and potentially an abuse of power.”

“Australia is a democratic country that is multicultural and multifaith. We are richer as a result of our differences in opinion and political perspectives. These differences should be encouraged.”