By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
Narre Warren North MP Luke Donnellan was slammed as “parasitic” before Casey councillors approved plans to include his letters in future council agendas.
But he has hit back saying the move is juvenile and that it won’t deter him from writing letters to the council on behalf of residents.
The motion was raised at last week’s council meeting as a matter of urgent business by councillor Sam Aziz and will see each of Mr Donnellan’s letters shared with the entire council and the public gallery.
Cr Aziz said that although Mr Donnellan sends numerous letters to the council about various matters, he constantly ignores invitations to meet with councillors and has “no genuine interest in really engaging in a productive way with the councillors elected by the Casey community”.
Cr Aziz described Mr Donnellan’s behaviour as “parasitic” in the latest round of the acrimonious relationship between Cr Aziz and the local MP.
“It’s time for the entire council and public to consider a response to Mr Donnellan,” Cr Aziz said, speaking after the council meeting.
“He once made the claim that he only maintains relationships with the councillors he needs to work with. Which councillors will he work with now? They’re all gone.”
Cr Aziz called for a division on his motion in which most councillors voted in favour. Crs Rosalie Crestani and Susan Serey abstained.
Councillor Rafal Kaplon was absent from the council chamber when the division was called.
Cr Kaplon, whose Four Oaks Ward includes Mr Donnellan’s seat of Narre Warren North, later rejected a claim made by Cr Aziz that his absence was strategic.
“I refute those allegations. I left before the nature of urgent business was made clear,” Cr Kaplon said.
“Cr Aziz has a long history with Luke Donnellan, it could be described as not one of the best histories.
“Sometimes he asserts that there are relationships between councillors and Mr Donnellan and he (Cr Aziz) will act on those personal thoughts.”
Cr Aziz did not elaborate on his comment regarding Cr Kaplon’s absence during the division, calling it a “peripheral issue”.
Cr Crestani, who shares Four Oaks Ward with Cr Kaplon, said she abstained from the division on the basis that Cr Aziz’s motion was likely to cause more friction between the City of Casey and the local MP.
“We need to quietly build bridges, not publicly,” she said.
“Sam’s (Cr Aziz) a good friend of mine but I’m not going to play his political games.”
Cr Serey agreed that the motion was not a solution to Casey’s “difficult relationship” with Mr Donnellan.
“I don’t believe that every single letter from an MP, especially one who has had a hostile relationship with council over many years, should necessarily be given the prominence of being included in Casey council agendas,” Cr Serey said.
