Decision details

Moved by Councillor Chung, seconded by Councillor Forster –

It is resolved that:

(A)        Council note, on 18 March 2019, a video emerged of the then NSW Labor Leader Michael Daley telling a Labor Party function in the Blue Mountains that young people were being forced to "flee" Sydney because their jobs were being taken by educated Asian migrants;

(B)        Council denounce and condemn Mr Daley for his racist and offensive comments insinuating that Asian Migrants are responsible for increasing property prices and the high cost of living in Sydney; and

(C)       the Lord Mayor be requested to write to the interim NSW Labor Leader, The Hon. Penny Sharpe MLC, calling on her to denounce the video and Mr Daley's racist comments.

Variation. At the request of Councillor Kok, and by consent, the motion was varied such that it read as follows –

It is resolved that Council:

(A)        note that Australia has long prided itself on being an inclusive multi-cultural country which respects diversity and the inherent dignity of all its citizens;

(B)        further note with concern that this inclusiveness and respect for diversity risks being threatened by the increasing tendency of people in public life, including elected officials, candidates for office and media figures, to exploit prejudice and irrational hatred by resorting to overt and covert racist, Islamophobic, anti-Semitic, sexist, homophobic and other offensive discriminatory comments;

(C)       call upon the parliamentary leaders of all political parties at the NSW and federal levels to show leadership on this issue by rejecting this development and by being willing to immediately call to account any of their supporters or followers whenever they resort to this conduct; and

(D)       request the Lord Mayor write to all parliamentary leaders requesting them to act on this issue as proposed in this resolution.

The motion, as varied by consent, was carried unanimously.

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