The Age: Merri-bek Council: Councillor suspended over rainbow road debate and use of "duplicitousness"
Michael Barnett OAM
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Rainbow connection a bridge too far for warring councillors
Gemma Grant
A disagreement over whether to paint two roads in rainbow colours has led to the suspension of a councillor, over the local government faux pas of insufficiently pausing during debate and the use of the word “duplicitousness”.
In late November, Greens Merri-bek councillor and former mayor Adam Pulford was found to have breached the councillors’ code of conduct during an April meeting. The finding arose from comments directed at veteran councillor Oscar Yildiz, a former ALP member, who filed a complaint.
It all started during the April 9 Merri-bek Council meeting, during a motion to install two local rainbow crossings as a gesture of support for the LGBTQ+ community.
All councillors supported the rainbow crossing motion except for Yildiz, who said it was too expensive. Installing the crossings at the two proposed sites would cost $45,000, according to council documents.
During the spirited debate, Pulford failed to pause for long enough, which undermined the role of the mayor, the arbiter found.
Another breach focused on the use of the word “duplicitousness”, saying that directing it towards Yildiz was unfair and lacked objectivity.
A rainbow crossing, like this one, corner of Jackson and Fitzroy streets, St Kilda, has been touted for Merri-bek. Simon Schluter
“Here tonight we have a councillor stirring up division and anger over queer issues once again,” Pulford said during the April meeting.
“I’m sorry to our community that we have this duplicitousness in one of our councillors.”
Yildiz can be seen frowning and raising his eyebrows on the meeting’s recording. He made two attempts to interrupt.
“Point of order. If this council is going to attack me with lies … can you provide the evidence on that?” he eventually said.
“It’s all factual,” Pulford replied.
Three months later, Yildiz made a formal complaint against Pulford. The pair would eventually end up in an internal arbitration hearing in early October, where Pulford received his sanction.
Yildiz said Pulford’s comments during the meeting made him feel uncomfortable, and he was mainly after an apology from his Greens colleague.
“I did not go to the arbiter first because I felt that was a waste of ratepayer money,” Yildiz said. “To try and label me and use the word ‘duplicitousness’… that word is not a nice word.”
Greens councillor Adam Pulford.Justin McManus
But Pulford said he’d acted reasonably.
“It’s pretty concerning that my speech broke the code of conduct,” he said. “Fair, robust debate is fundamental to a healthy local democracy.”
Pulford’s failure to pause for long enough prevented his ability to act “effectively and responsibly”, according to arbiter Matthew Evans.
Other breaches found by Evans were not treating a fellow councillor with dignity, fairness and respect as well as diminishing the public’s trust in local government.
Merri-bek councillor Oscar Yildiz during a 2018 state government campaign. Joe Armao
The arbiter has suspended at least three other councillors this year, including Yildiz himself for one month.
Last year, Yildiz was also hauled before the arbiter by another Greens councillor, Mark Riley, but was cleared. Seven other councillors from across the state were also suspended in 2024.
Victorian Greens MP Tim Read, who is the party’s integrity spokesperson, said the decision to suspend Pulford was a harsh penalty that stifles accountability in local government.
“When a gay councillor raises concerns about a councillor’s broken promise to the LGBTQIA+ community and he is the one suspended, something is wrong with the council complaints system,” Read said in a statement.
The sanction will be officially tabled at the next council meeting on December 10. Pulford’s two-week sanction will start from the following day.
And the rainbow-coloured roads at the heart of it all? The motion passed, and the council is still investigating possible locations.
With Rachael Dexter
