Gay Melb Councillor Suspended After Speech Calling Out Broken Promises To LGBTQ+ Community

A gay member of a local Melbourne council has been suspended for two weeks after raising concerns about a councillor’s broken promise to the local LGBTQIA+ community.

Greens Councillor for Merri-Bek, Adam Pulford criticised Councillor Oscar Yildiz for signing a pre-election pledge to install and maintain a rainbow crossing, only to vote against it once elected.

Earlier this year, the Merri-Bek City Council passed a motion to spend $45,000 installing the crossings on opposite ends of the municipality, with every councillor but Yildiz voting in its favour.

“Here tonight, we have a councillor stirring up division and anger over queer issues,” Pulford said in a city council meeting on April 9.

“Once again, the councillor says it’s not because it’s about LGBTIQA+ issues. It’s about cost. But if you look at the pattern of behaviour, this councillor has regularly gone to the media to stir up community dissent over queer issues, including opposing colourful and joyful drag story time events last year.

“This pattern of behaviour indicates it’s not about cost, it’s about something else. This councillor is happy to sign the rainbow pledge and says he’ll support LGBTIQA+ people when he wants our votes. But then, when he’s in a position to honour this pledge, he breaks it and goes on radio to spread division.

“I’m proud to support this motion tonight, and I’m proud that to know that pretty much every council in this room will back this motion. I’m sorry to our community members that we have this duplicitousness in one of our councillors.”

Yildiz alleged that the use of the word ‘duplicitousness’, as well as Pulford continuing to speak over Yildiz’s point of order broke Conduct 1, 2 and 4 of the Model Councillor Code of Conduct in his application to an independent arbiter.

The new process, which was squeezed through Parliament last year, allows a Government appointed, unelected arbiter to use an opaque, private process to suspend elected Councillors. If a Councillor disagrees with the arbiter’s decision, their only option for appeal is to seek a judicial review in the Supreme Court, which is expensive and burdensome.

In his application to the arbiter, Yildiz argued that he was simply raising concerns about whether the proposed expenditure represented the best use of taxpayers’ money.

“At no point did I attack any individual, nor did I oppose the principles of inclusion or equality,” he argued. “My remarks were focused entirely on policy, fiscal responsibility and the prioritisation of direct support for the LGBTIQA+ community.”

Current system risks Councillors’ ability to hold each other accountable

The decision, which was handed down on 21 November, ruled that Councillor Pulford would be suspended for “a period of 14 days commencing the day after [the] decision is tabled at the next Council meeting”.

Councillor Pulford says that it’s “pretty concerning” his speech broke the code of conduct.

“These current rules and the process, set by state government, risk limiting Councillors’ ability to hold each other accountable on behalf of the community,” he said. “Fair, robust debate is fundamental to a healthy local democracy.”

The Greens are now calling on the Minister for Local Government to review the Code of Conduct and its enforcement, arguing it reduces transparency and accountability in local Government, and allows the Government to politicise local council.

“When a gay Councillor raises concerns about a Councillor’s broken promise to the LGBTQIA+ community and he is the one suspended, something is wrong with the Council complaints system,” said Victorian Greens MP Tim Read.