Perth Voice Interactive

A NEW attempt to get a pride flag flying out front of Bayswater council HQ is pending, following a shift in the balance of power on the council lineup. 

Cr Nat Latter has called for installing an additional pole outside the Broun Avenue council centre “for the purposes of flying other optional flags such as the Pride flag” alongside the existing four flags. 

It’d cost around $11,500 to install, and the plan is near-identical to a motion Cr Latter raised in January 2024. That was voted down with a 5/5 split and with mayor Filomena Piffaretti using her casting vote to oppose the motion. (“Pride flag push left blowin’ in the wind,” Voice, February 3, 2024).

One resident, Michael Quigley, attended the November 12 council briefing to repeat his previous opposition to the plan.

“There’s a sense of de ja vu about this notice, because we’ve seen it before,” Mr Quigley said. 

“It seems the sole purpose of the flagpole is to provide space for a flag for the Pride movement. And with almost an afterthought it says ‘and other optional flags’.

“Whatever those flags are we don’t know, and as a risk assessment person in the background I’d be concerned that if somebody wanted to raise a flag that was anti-democratic, that was antisocial, and this council refused, we may move into some form of litigation. 

“If nothing else, we may enter into some negative publicity about our particular suburb and our particular council, and that concerns me.”

Commenting on the officer’s report about the new flagpole, Mr Quigley said “it’s always been my view that a piece of cloth on top of a mast will not necessarily encourage people to access the sorts of services that the council now provides. 

“The flag itself I have no problems with, that’s their own idea and that’s what they want to be identified with, but why should the taxpayers and the ratepayers in this city that have a broad population be expected to fund this, and then maintain this?

“There’s no definable, or quantifiable, or measurable benefit that I can see in this, it just seems to be nebulous.”

When first raising the idea, Cr Latter told councillors in January: “It matters for governments to be visibly inclusive in this way because it saves lives.”

“It encourages engagement with the City and participating in civic life and… it’s incredibly meaningful for any level of government to proclaim their support for LGBTQ people in a way like this.”

While Mr Quigley observed a sense of de ja vu, there’s been one significant change since the last time this idea was debated: The council lineup.

In January 2024 the council had 10 members instead of the usual 11. Deadlocks were decided by mayor Filomena Piffaretti making a casting vote.

An extraordinary election in March 2024 saw the return of long-serving councillor Sally Palmer, potentially making for a more friendly reception to the flagpole idea when it goes to a council vote at the upcoming November 19 meeting.

by DAVID BELL