By NOEL MURPHY
FORMER mayor Stretch Kontelj has launched a scathing attack on councillors who refused this week to discuss Geelong bus route changes set to hit the elderly, disabled and vulnerable.
Cr Kontelj wanted letters written to local MPs and Transport Minister Jacinta Allan pleading for community concerns to be heeded. He accused councillors who rejected his call of enforcing “payback” against him for not voting for Michelle Heagney as deputy mayor late last year.
“Whatever they might want to say there are only two bases for rejecting this: one, they don’t care about the impact on the elderly, disabled and vulnerable in this community or, two, this is retribution for me not voting for Cr Heagney to be deputy, or both.
“They can wrap it any way they like, this is payback time and to teach a lesson that we will have to kowtow to that faction of Cr Heagney’s and Cr Andy Richards, her political master.”
Cr Kontelj needed a two-third majority to enable debate on his motion as a matter of “urgent business” after councillors first learnt of his letter-writing plans when they entered the council chamber and found a notice on their desks.
The 8:5 vote in favour of discussing the matter left him one vote short.
“I was quite surprised and disappointed,” Cr Kontelj said.
“I had the deputy mayor Michelle Heagney and transport portfolio holder Andy Richards – along with Jock Irvine, Jan Farrell and Rod Macdonald — vote against it.
“This is a flexing of the muscle to show those councillors who didn’t vote for Cr Heagney who’s in charge. Phase two will be the redistribution of portfolios and stripping me of finance along with Eddie Kontelj and Darryn Lyons who share it.”
Cr Richards said if Cr Kontelj was “serious” about bus services he would have contacted council officers “who deal with transport issues or myself as transport portfolio holder”.
“Given that Stretch only put the motion on table at 7pm on council meeting night, you’d have to ask is this bloke serious about being a councillor? I think not.
“Stretch seems somewhat bitter that his Liberal side of politics lost the last State election. I say to Stretch the council chamber is not the place to settle old party political scores.”
Cr Richards said any councillor was entitled to put their hand up for a portfolio.
“Given last year’s budget and the fact council received 10 times as many submissions requesting chances than normal I’d suggest Stretch reflect on that and ask is he the best person for that job.”
Cr Heagney said she voted against the “urgent motion” because council should be more “organised and strategic” about writing to ministers than responding in haste to matters.
“The question at hand wasn’t about buses but whether the item was urgent. To receive it at 7pm with no email during day or mention at dinner doesn’t allow for best approach,” she said.
Cr Heagney said Cr Kontelj’s attack was “not in the best interests of Geelong”.
“Disagreement and debate get the best outcome from the democratic process but when it’s allowed to boil over into public stoushes it’s not good,” she said.
