Debate Makes State Headlines

A debate about Mount Barker ratepayers funding a Survival Day event made state headlines in metro media last week.

As reported in The Southern Argus last week, Mount Barker councillor Rebecca Hewett raised concerns during the meeting about funding $5000 towards a Survival Day event held on January 26.

Ms Hewett - who is One Nation's candidate for Mayo in the upcoming Federal Election - conducted a poll on social media, which she said showed the majority were against it.

Mayor David Leach interrupted and rejected some of her claims.

“I got totally silenced - it wasn't just me, the community got silenced because I was speaking for the community,” she said on 5AA.

“When they didn't want to hear from me, they were saying they didn't want to hear from the community, basically, because I'm their voice in the chamber.”

Mayor Leach believed her poll failed to represent the views of all residents in the district, with research finding the community is “strongly supportive” of council being inclusive and acknowledging diversity.

“I have an obligation as Mayor of the council that no harm comes to anybody by the words and actions of other people,” he said on 5AA.

“I know they have resulted in harm because Aboriginal people who are my friends and people that I meet on the street say to me that they are harmed by those words, that's why it's my... (responsibility) to ensure that people are not hurt by other peoples' words.”