By Casey Neill
An independent investigation has found Councillor Angela Long should apologise to colleague Tim Dark over her claim he was “opposing anything that’s indigenous”.
Greater Dandenong Council received an independent arbiter’s report into Cr Dark’s complaint at the Tuesday 12 June meeting.
Cr Long made the remark during the 27 November council meeting, after Cr Dark slammed a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP).
Two weeks earlier he’d abstained from voting on a proposal to fly the Torres Strait Islander flag.
The arbiter’s report is confidential, but the council did reveal that Cr Long’s comments were in breach of the Councillor Code of Conduct.
“The arbiter believes this breach was minor and inadvertent,” the council report said.
It said the arbiter recommended Cr Long apologise to Cr Dark “by acknowledging that he was entitled to oppose the council’s endorsement of the RAP, and that she understands that such opposition does not mean that he is against our indigenous people”.
But Cr Long successfully moved that “no further action be taken” on the matter and revealed the arbiter also found her views reasonable and frustration understandable.
In a heated exchange, Cr Dark questioned whether “failure to act” would have any occupational health and safety implications.
Council CEO John Bennie said “no liability or issues are deemed to exist … for this particular matter”.
Cr Dark went on to declare the situation “nothing short of Labor party councillors protecting their own”.
“This is 100 per cent a cover up,” he said.
Greens Party member Cr Matthew Kirwan said he believed Cr Long never did anything wrong.
“It’s time as a council to move on,” he said.
