Zoe Moffatt
A Merri-Bek councillor who attended Hume council’s disrupted meeting last month said she wanted to stand in solidarity with the community over the conflict in Palestine and Gaza.
Cr Sue Bolton attended the April 29 meeting, which was brought to a standstill when attendees disrupted the proceedings yelling ‘free Palestine’ and ‘shame’.
In speaking about her decision to attend the meeting, Cr Bolton said she went to stand in solidarity and did not see it as interfering.
“I don’t make a habit of going to all other councils’ meetings,” she said.
“I wasn’t particularly going to try and put pressure on the councillors but it was really in solidarity with the Hume community.
“There’s a connection between the council so I don’t see myself as interfering in the council, but there out of solidarity.”
Representing Merri-Bek’s north-east ward, Cr Bolton said she is connected to the Hume area due to the physical proximity and constituents moving between the areas.
“There’s a lot of people that used to live in Fawkner and Glenroy and Hadfeild, who have been forced out because of the cost of housing and now live within the Hume council area.
“So there’s a connection there with a lot of people who live in Hume … [and] a lot of issues don’t stop at the borders of local councils.”
When asked about councils’ role in conflicts that are taking place thousands of kilometres away, and responsibilities of roads, rates and rubbish, Cr Bolton said all councils can do is a level of advocacy.
“There are many things that councils advocate on, that it doesn’t have control over,” she said.
“All councils have human rights policies or some form of human rights or social justice … policies.
“Councils don’t have full control over roads, rates and rubbish, and councils also do a lot more than roads, rates and rubbish.”
This pressure on councils to address the ongoing conflict has continued to bubble away across the country, and has resulted in numerous calls for a ceasefire in hostilities.
