Council
18 July, 2024
Policy creates row among councillors
HEATED debate arose surrounding a topic unrelated to Moyne Shire Council policy on the agenda at last month’s Ordinary Meeting of Council.
Moyne Shire councillors were tasked with endorsing the Fair Access Policy and Action Plan, which is designed to ensure council considers barriers experienced by women, girls and gender diverse people in accessing sport and recreation.
The policy streamlines council compliance with state legislation such as the Gender Equality Act 2020, Local Government Act 2020 and Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008.
Actions to achieve progress as noted in the plan includes ongoing or recently completed infrastructure upgrades, such the newly resurfaced netball and tennis courts at the Mortlake Recreation Reserve.
The policy also notes an effort to ensure women in leadership roles are represented on committees, through council funding opportunities and in awards.
For Cr Jim Doukas, however, he expressed fear the policy could heighten the risk of sexually inappropriate behaviour if someone commits the act while pretending to be transgender.
“People growing up as males can identify as females instantly, there is no form you have to fill out, no requirements,” he said.
“You can wake up in the morning or do it in the afternoon, so Joe Blow can identify as a female - if this passes - walk in to the ladies change rooms, strip right off and parade around that room in front of everybody.
“Whether it is a four-year-old female child, 14 or an 80-year-old woman, it doesn’t make any difference. You have to accept that person if they identify as a female, and that is just plain wrong.
“This is not about fair access - it is about destroying a community, destroying the family unit and sorry but if you vote for this, you’re letting the community down real bad.
“These people, who identify as female, might only do it to get access to those change rooms. With technology today, who knows how many photos they take.”
Mayor Ian Smith said he believed such behaviour was illegal, which Cr Doukas said was untrue.
Western District Newspapers notes the actions in Cr Doukas’ hypothetical situation are explicitly illegal under the Summary Offences Act 1966, Crimes Act 1958 and Surveillance Devices Act 1999.
Cr Damian Gleeson interjected, saying “I think you’ve made your point and you’re going way above and beyond”.
Cr Doukas told Cr Gleeson to “mind his business”.
“I’m not putting up with that rubbish anymore,” Cr Gleeson replied.
Cr Jordan Lockett, for the second time in the meeting, read aloud the councillor code of conduct after having previously read the conduct when Cr Doukas took exception to an earlier vote on the Aboriginal Engagement and Partnership Plan.
“I just want to remind us this is a chamber that is meant to be a place of dignity and respect,” he said.
“This is the responsibility of a councillor.
“Some of the discussion which has occurred in here, which Cr Gleeson highlighted, is inappropriate.”
Cr Doukas took exception on a point of order, asking what he had said which could be deemed inappropriate, to which Cr Lockett said it was offensive to imply transgender people are free to engage in inappropriate ways with children.
Cr James Purcell moved the item be put to a vote, which passed 6-1 with Cr Doukas voting against.