MEDIA RELEASE

22nd May 2007

Labor Storms Out Of Randwick Council Meeting Forcing Its Adjournment

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Labor Councillors walked out a Randwick City Council meeting last night to prevent the Acting Mayor from presenting a series of motions to the

meeting.

ALP Councillor Dominic Sullivan challenged Greens Acting Mayor Murray Matson's right to put the motions in the absence of the Mayor who is overseas.

The General Manager advised Cr Sullivan that Cr Matson was allowed to do so under the Local Government Act as the Acting Mayor.

Despite this advice, Cr Sullivan and fellow ALP Councillor Anthony Andrews left the meeting bringing it to a close because there were no longer sufficient councillors present for it to legally continue.

Cr Matson, who has been the Council's Deputy Mayor for two years, said after the meeting,

"I don't actually know why they did it. There was no strategic benefits to the Labor party in walking out that I could see. The silly thing is

that the Mayor when he returns from overseas is more than likely to support the thwarted motions and they know it. I can only guess they did

it because they wanted to show us that they could. If so it was a totally immature exercise of power. All they have done is waste Council

resources.

The General Manager specifically told them that I had the right to carry out the functions of the Mayor in his absence. They chose to

ignore that advice and get up and walk out."

The thwarted motions dealt with proposed Council support for, local Reconcilliation week celebrations, a plan for an off road bike path down

Anzac Parade, a request by a female para-Olympian athlete for a donation, another sportsman who wanted a donation to compete in a rowing

event in Scotland, the waiving of Council fees for a Surf Life Saving event, asbestos contamination in a park, the waiving of fees for a

program assisting at-risk children in La Perouse, a Wilderness Society request for World Heritage protection for Cape York, and a proposed call for the winding back of drinking hours for hotels in Coogee.

Cr Matson commented,

"I can't think why the Labor Party found it necessary to wreck a meeting in order to block any of these motions. They just simply seemed

to want to flex their political muscles for some reason.