By Jonty Ralphsmith
Greater Dandenong ex-councillor Maria Sampey has taken to a Dandenong council meeting to once again demand an apology from the mayor and chief executive.
Ms Sampey said that she would continue to attend meetings and ask for an apology each time until one was given.
After asking three questions from the public gallery during question time at the meeting on Monday 9 May, she repeatedly insisted that she was owed an apology.
“I think I deserve an apology for the way I was treated like a criminal at the last council meeting by getting security on to me and stuff like that,” she said at the recent council meeting.
“So I do require an apology from all of you. Thankyou.”
Mayor Jim Memeti thanked Ms Sampey for her questions before Ms Sampey said: “It’s not a question; I’m after an apology”.
The mayor tried to carry on with the meeting, calling for chief executive John Bennie to ask the next question before Ms Sampey interjected again.
“So I’m being ignored am I?” she asked.
Cr Memeti, who started the meeting by making a statement that addressed the matter, told Ms Sampey: “We’ve already made a statement, Ms Sampey can you please sit down.”
The pair then spoke over the top of each other as Ms Sampey repeated that she was after an apology, not a statement and the mayor said she was “interrupting our meeting” and asked her to sit down.
“Ms Sampey, I’ve already made a statement and I’ve acknowledged what happened (two weeks ago) and you’re absolutely out of order please sit down,” the mayor commanded.
Ms Sampey finally obliged but could be heard murmuring as she returned to the public gallery.
Cr Memeti started the meeting by reading from a statement to close off the matter.
“…I felt it important that we adjourn to be clear on any issues or implications for either party,” he said.
“We adjourned, we spoke privately to each of the parties, we heard their perspectives and we discussed the matter briefly in camera with all councillors.
“Arising from that proper and respectful process, we concluded that the meeting could continue without any intervention or change and reopened and reconvened.”
Respecting the privacy of Cr Long and Ms Sampey, the mayor made no further comment and apologised for the inconvenience.
The incident at the previous council meeting on Tuesday 26 April saw security called on Ms Sampey as she refused to leave the room when an adjournment was called.
During the intermission, council determined whether her attendance was legal given Cr Angela Long had taken out an interim intervention order against her.
They ruled that she was allowed to stay.
Ms Sampey previously told Star News the incident at the last council meeting, Tuesday 26 April, was “not professionally handled” and caused her “utter stress”.
Cr Memeti made the council’s position on the incident clear at the start of the meeting.
Having served as a councillor for 20 years, Ms Sampey remains invested in issues in the community and will continue to attend the meetings and ask questions.
“I will be attending council meetings and asking for an apology at each one until they know that they’ve done wrong ,” she said.
“You can’t treat me like that and tell me if you don’t leave the room, we’re getting the security onto you.”
The next council meeting is on Monday May 23.
