Opposing a call for Cumberland to join the #RacismNotWelcome campaign, which includes installing red street sign blades in strategic areas, Cr Sarkis said it should to be more inclusive like the council’s own ‘Welcome. Belong. Succeed’ messaging.
“The first word (of the street sign) is ‘racism’. It doesn’t cut it for me,” Cr Sarkis said.
However Cr Lisa Lake said it was no different to the ’Cumberland Says No To Domestic Violence’ campaign and also rejected the claim from Cr Ned Attie that there was “no racism issue”, asking him to show her “this so called utopian paradise”.
“We all live in a reality, and this council is no different from any other Sydney area, of course racism exists in Cumberland,” she said.
“We need to acknowledge that.”
Councillors Kun Huang and Suman Saha, who proposed joining the campaign, also each spoke about their personal experiences of racism.
“It occurs when people look at me differently and comment on my appearance,” Cr Saha said.
“It occurs when I was called the ‘love child of Bert Newton and Kamahl’ in this chamber.
“Will the street blades change all of these? No – but it will be a start.”
However pleas from four residents, all in support of joining the campaign, as well as former Socceroos captain and human rights campaigner Craig Foster, also failed to cut through with the vote locked at seven-all and defeated on the casting vote of Mayor Steve Christou.
In a statement to the Review, Cr Tom Zreika said while the spirit of the proposal “was acceptable” his concern was about the cost of installing the signs.
“When there are so many demands on our budget, this kind of spending is unacceptable, and completely irresponsible,” he said.
