By Oliver Lees
When Joseph Haweil’s parents resettled in Australia after fleeing from persecution in their home country of Iraq, a career in politics was the last thing they would have expected for their son.
“My family is part of a Christian minority that experienced human rights abuses that we couldn’t even imagine,” Cr Haweil told Star Weekly.
“Speaking about politics was forbidden, so pursuing a career in local government was something that they couldn’t even comprehend.
“They kept asking me: ‘Are you sure? Can’t you do something else?’
“But for me – I love it. Being mayor of a city is a job you would never want to give away.”
Last night, the Hume councillor’s term as mayor of the city ended.
Reflecting on his year in the position, Cr Haweil said his biggest challenge had been responding to the spread of COVID-19.
As of November 2, a total of 12,572 cases had been recorded in Hume, making it one of the most virus-prone areas in the country.
Cr Haweil said he drew on his background in political science and history – which he studied before being elected – to help him develop a strategy to share reliable public health information to the city’s multicultural population.
“A big part of what we’ve done in trying to lead the way in our COVID-19 response is that genuine community engagement. We are such a diverse community, with people coming from more than 160 different countries,” he said.
“I think it’s helpful to have an understanding of the issues involved in certain people’s history, it can help create that connection necessary to get a message across.”
According to Department of Health data for the last week of October, Hume recorded a 11.4 per cent growth in its double-dosed population, the biggest weekly increase of any council area in the country.
But Cr Haweil said the position had also presented challenges he hadn’t anticipated, including several allegations of misconduct levelled between Hume councillors.
“In that sense, it has been challenging,” Cr Haweil said.
“But my job is to try to lead by example. Anything that you’re engaged in within your capacity as an elected official should be framed in an attempt to serve the interests of the community.
“Everyone has different ideas about how the city should be run … but despite these differences I think we’ve proven to be a high-functioning council.”
Cr Haweil said introducing Hume’s first affordable housing policy was also a notable highlight of his term as mayor.
