Sydney Mardi Gras AGM: Plea To Reintroduce Motion To Ban Police, Liberal Party From Marching In Parade Rejected
Image: Image: Ann Marie Calilhanna
The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras (SGLMG) Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held Saturday, November 26 at the University of Sydney, as well as online.
Among the topics discussed included the controversial Police Accord and the new SGLMG Constitution.
Pride in Protest Calls For Vote On Rejected Motions
As soon as the AGM began, Pride in Protest called for a vote to reintroduce the motions that were rejected by the SGLMG Board in the lead-up to the AGM.
These included motions condemning the treatment of asylum seekers, supporting transition leave, as well as preventing the police, the AFP, the Australian Defence Force, and the Liberal Party from marching in the Mardi Gras Parade.
Also not tabled was a motion to scrap the Mardi Gras Police Accord, which addresses police decency checks, and condemns the use of sniffer dogs and a heavy police presence during the parade.
According to the SGLMG at the time, the reasons they declined to table the motions were, “The Board is not required to put to the general meeting a motion that is invalid or incapable of being legally effective.”
This new vote to reintroduce the motions was defeated.
In a statement Pride in Protest said, “Mardi Gras has long struggled to decide if it was run by the community, or was a plaything for corporations. This year the board followed their long list of disastrous actions by ruling all motions out of order to prevent members putting forward views they didn’t like.”
The statement went on to say, “Pride in Protest will be calling an extraordinary general meeting to amend the constitution to guarantee members rights to submit motions.”
Mardi Gras Police Accord Discussed
When it came to the Mardi Gras Police Accord, SGLMG CEO Albert Kruger said during his address, “All of our major events require New South Wales Police to be present, by law. Mardi Gras and New South Wales Police Accord exists to ensure all people attending our events are safe, protected and are treated fairly and with respect.
As the most recent Accord was signed back in 2018, Kruger explained that a review had been undertaken in order to “address community concerns.”
According to Kruger, the Police accord will be launched prior to Sydney WorldPride 2023 in February.
New Constitution Timeline Revealed
A proposed timeline for a new SGLMG Constitution was also discussed.
According to Co-Chair Jesse Matheson an extraordinary General Meeting will be called to take place in mid 2023. At this meeting the Board will present to members a “Cleanup Constitution”.
This constitution will essentially be about removing out of date and superfluous content.
What will not be discussed during that extraordinary General Meeting, according to Matheson, “are those more complex and substantial changes, like those to the membership or the makeup of the board.”
Those changes will be voted on as amendments at the 2023 SGLMG AGM, after consultation with members.
SGLMG members also elected four new board members.
They are Abs Osseiran, Melanie Schwerdt, Brandon Bear and Skip Blofield.
