An interview with Mr. Battista in the Lismore App took my attention recently.

The conversation was about his bid to rejoin the Lismore Council as part of the Krieg team.

When asked: What is the biggest threat we are facing as a city? Battista included in his answer, “a fragmented, divisive, negative and combative Council”.

Without going back to the livestream (available on the Council website) I guess he didn’t get his way on several issues….

Mr. Battista would, it seems, be happiest with a benign dictator and his “Yes” team making all the decisions i.e. everyone in agreement and following our Pied Piper, Steve Krieg. I digress, but you get the picture. Is democracy heading for an early death in Lismore? When did lively discussion and informed debate become a negative? Surely discussions from differing viewpoints are more representative of a diverse community such as Lismore.

The block vote, which wipes out any chance of other alternatives, has become a signature move of the current Council Chamber. Perhaps this is useful when dealing with a natural disaster situation. Well, after the initial dummy spit where our own Mayor stated on National TV that he felt the Council would not be able to cope, things settled down, and he got on with it. All well and good, but the block voting thing became a bulldozer which had a tendency to be quite destructive of Council Staff recommendations.

I would very much like to remind Mr. Battista that his statement - "Let's work together and try to be united for Lismore” has always been true. It will not be a new phenomenon in the next Council. We got through the whole flood ordeal because that’s exactly what Lismore is so good at. Let’s hope our new Council will represent everyone: housed or homeless, working or retired, 1^st Nation or European, disadvantaged, disabled, rural, or urban. Did I miss anyone? Yes, we are a diverse community. It is our strength. The Council Chambers should represent this diversity. Don’t you think?

Regards,

Dot Moller