By Casey Neill
Tim Dark is pursuing a formal complaint against a fellow Greater Dandenong councillor who claimed he was “opposing anything that’s indigenous”.
He revealed that an arbitration hearing with Cr Angela Long would take place this month when the Journal approached him for comment about a meme he posted on his Facebook page on Australia Day.
It featured an image of the British royal family with the words “I hereby acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we meet … ”
Several attendees at Greater Dandenong Australia Day activities said they found the post offensive.
“It was on my personal Facebook page, not on my councillor one,” Cr Dark said.
“It was purely said in jest.
“Nothing was raised with me.
“If it was, I happily would have taken it into consideration.”
Cr Angela Long made the remark that promoted Cr Dark’s complaint during the 27 November council meeting.
Cr Dark slammed a Reconciliation Action Plan as “wishy washy”, lacking in action and too expensive.
Two weeks earlier he’d abstained from voting on a proposal to fly the Torres Strait Islander flag at the Dandenong Civic Centre.
“I’m just so upset that you are once again against our indigenous people,” Cr Long said at the time.
Cr Dark unsuccessfully asked for an apology at the time, and subsequently lodged a formal complaint.
The pair is to meet with an independent arbitrator on 14 February after Cr Long refused to take part in mediation.
Cr Long said: “I don’t believe I did anything wrong and I went straight to arbitration rather than him having another opportunity to bully me through mediation.”
Cr Dark said he didn’t have a problem with indigenous Australians.
“The reconciliation action plan was absolutely significantly flawed,” he said.
“It has no outcomes, it’s purely activities.
“With such a critical issue it’s important we represent it and fix the issues rather than beating around the bush.”
In relation to the Torres Strait Islander flag, Cr Dark said he abstained from voting because he didn’t have an opinion either way.
He said he supported the council’s budget, which contained funding for the Dandenong and District Aborigines Co-Operative, took part in NAIDOC Week events and had been involved in indigenous community events.
“I’m always supportive of Welcome to Country,” he said.
