No faith in council funding

GREATER Dandenong Council must cut its funding of the city’s Interfaith Network if it is to remain a secular organisation.
That’s the view of Cleeland Ward councillor Paul Donovan who was the only councillor opposed to the general support program list of community grants this week.
Interfaith Network is a union of religions within Greater Dandenong and for 17 years has worked to promote harmony among the various faiths.
The program approved by the council will see Greater Dandenong council hand out $440,000 in community grants this financial year, including $6000 to the city’s Interfaith Network.
The $6000 will be used by Interfaith Network to fund an annual gathering at the Drum Theatre ‘to promote harmony and tolerance amongst people of faith within the city’.
But Cr Donovan said the funding ‘crossed the line’ and in his opinion was not community support, rather support of an organised religion.
He said the funding would lead the council away ‘from the secular society we have made in Victoria and Australia that makes Australia a great place to live in.’
Meanwhile, three councillors – Jim Memeti, Roz Blades and Youhorn Chea – left the chamber because community groups they belonged to were receiving funds, posing a conflict of interest.
The final vote was seven to one, with Cr Donovan the sole councillor in opposition.
The council managed to slice the community funding to just $440,000, down from the $940,000 requested by groups, some of which are based outside the city.