Precedent for international affairs involvement, says Fiona

Marrickville Mayor and Greens candidate in the upcoming state election, Fiona Byrne, has hit back at continuing claims her council is fielding ideas above its station in concerning itself with “international affairs”.

A media report recently pinpointed the alleged work of at least 25 staff, contributing a total of more than 80 working hours, to process the decision of Council to endorse the BDS campaign.

But Cr Byrne queried the figures, saying they were not in the report and “could not be substantiated.”

“The report was very clear about where the time has been spent,” she said. “When you go through those times, four hours was spent on looking at the implementation of the BDS; the rest was spent on dealing with media inquiries and comments from the wider community.”

She also cited Marrickville Council’s similar boycott on Burma in 1998, the first by any governmental organisation outside the United States.

“The precedent is there,” she said. “The community came to Council in 1998, and it was unanimously decided to boycott Burma. Carmel [Tebbutt] may not remember, but it’s minuted that she was actually at that meeting – as was Cr Morris Hanna, who decided this time that we should stick to local issues. When people talk about sticking to local issues, I think representing the community is part of that.”

Ms Tebbutt, the sitting Labor member for the area and a former Marrickville councillor, stated in January she felt it was more appropriate for Council to focus on local issues.