Perth Voice Interactive

VINCENT mayor John Carey is backing a move by the WA parliament to knock on the head the planned $150 million marriage equality plebiscite.

The WA Legislative Assembly’s motion, moved by Maylands Labor MP Lisa Baker and which passed unanimously, calls on the federal parliament to instead give all MPs and Senators a “free vote” (unshackled by factional or party solidarity) on amending the Marriage Act.

Deny

In 2004 the Howard government changed the Marriage Act to explicitly deny marriage between anyone other than “a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others”. Marriage equality supporters say it would be simple to change it back, or to something like “between consenting adults”.

Mr Carey, who is gay, is confident “most Australians are not fussed by the issue and wonder why it is not already in place”. “A free vote is the quicker and cheapest way,” he says.

Ms Baker, who usually keeps her private life out of the public gaze, opened up during debate on her motion.

“This debate is personal for me because I am not permitted to marry the person I love,” she told MPs.

“My partner and I are godparents to many of our friends’ and families’ children.

Curiously

“Now and then our families’ or our friends’ kids curiously ask their parents if Aunty Lisa and Aunty Kathleen are married and are told, ‘well, they love each other just like mummy and daddy love each other, so it is just like they are married.’

“My brother and his wife should not have to explain our relationship to my precious niece and nephew. We are Thomas and Emily’s aunts and we love each other and we love them.Those members who oppose my right to be treated equitably do so on a very narrow base with antiquated views of Australian society in this century.”

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

AFTER two decades at Vincent city council, community services director Rob Boardman has retired.

That leaves cheery technical services director Rick Lotznicker as the sole remaining director from the days of former CEO John Giorgi. Mr Boardman was a medical officer and Army captain in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) before migrating to Australia. Described by staff as “a gentleman with old school manners [and] softly spoken,” he was boss of rangers and community development.

“Rob has given 20 years of dedicated service to the organisation,” mayor John Carey said. “That’s pretty incredible in this day and age, and he was there right from the beginning… he’s well loved by the staff.” Last year Mr Boardman suffered a heart attack and took extended leave.

by DAVID BELL

CRITICS of Bayswater mayor Sylvan Albert accuse him of stifling democracy by only keeping supportive comments on his Facebook page.

Cr Albert is up for re-election in the south ward and has been deleting the occasional post and barring users who continually disagree with him.

“Listen, it’s only been one or two people who keep badgering me about the same thing and won’t accept my answers,” he says.

“At the end of the day they are time wasting and being negative.

“It’s only a very small minority who obviously are against me being re-elected and disagree with me on everything, regardless of what I say.”

Resident Carla Jordan, who has had posts deleted, says she was simply posting links to published information, including articles in the the Perth Voice, which contradicted claims Mr Albert had made on the page.

The posts concerned the construction of the new Seventh Avenue bridge and Tranby Jetty.

“But then a few hours later, I was finding my posts were getting deleted.”

Council election results will be announced October 17.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

VOICE photographer Matthew Dwyer dropped by Hyde Park Tuesday morning, and followed the faint sounds of music to come across saxophonist James O’Meara tooting his instrument near the east lake. O’Meara prefers to rehearse in the park, since his neighbours wouldn’t appreciate his early morning practising, but he says he gets a lot of compliments from passers-by.

TOILET seats and clown noses have been used to deface around 30 of Bayswater mayor Sylvan Albert’s campaign posters, in a council election he has described as “the dirtiest ever”.

Cr Albert is seeking re-election in south ward on October 17, but is being challenged by local markets guru Catherine Ehrhardt.

“I have no idea who is responsible for this,” Ms Ehrhardt says.

“I’m running a respectable campaign and do not condone this type of behaviour.”

Cr Albert says he’s submitted to the police footage of vandals defacing his posters in Maylands.

“This is the fourth local government election that I have run and this is the first election where I am experiencing this type of mischievous and bullying behaviour,” he told the Voice.

“It shows a lack of respect for our community’s democratic right to be informed, vote and run for positions such as local government.

“There has been a lot of work that has gone into defacing these posters.

“Because this is not the first time this has occurred in this election, the police are now looking into this matter.”

Cr Albert says some posters were ripped off the wall. He was unable to estimate how much it’s all cost him.

Some posters sporting clown noses are below adverts for Joseph Ashton circus, which previously brought its big top to Bayswater.

Mr Ashton says the red noses are not a marketing stunt.

“[I] had no idea about that,” he says.

“If we were going to put clown noses on local councillors, we would target Fremantle, as most of them are a bunch of clowns, who could quite easily get a job here.”

Cr Albert says the vandalism will not deter him. “I will continue fighting for the community and our democratic rights, as democracy should always be upheld,” he says.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK