Tag Archives
‘Cancel culture’ debates distract us from real freedom of speech issues, says Greens Senator Faruqi
By WENDY BACON Freedom of speech but for whom? This was the key question asked by Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi in her Sydney PEN’s annual lecture held at the Sydney Writers’ Festival this week. Sydney PEN Centre is part of PEN International that defends freedom of expression by campaigning on behalf of writers who have […]
Transport for NSW kept Inner West Council in the dark about St Peters contamination
By WENDY BACON Transport for NSW failed to inform Inner West Council (IWC) about public safety concerns for land in St Peters that it wanted the Council to manage as a park. A City Hub investigation has found that the NSW Environmental Protection Authority’s concerns about hazard risks at the site led it to require […]
NSW Police Apologise To 78er Barbara Karpinski For Ejecting Her From SCG
By WENDY BACON The NSW Police have apologised to ‘78er Barbara Karpinski for ejecting her from the Sydney Cricket Ground stadium where she was watching the Mardi Gras parade on March 5. In response to questions from the Star Observer, an NSW Police spokesperson issued the following statement on Friday: “The NSW Police Force is […]
Mardi Gras CEO Calls For NSW Police Probe Into 78er’s Ejection From SCG
By WENDY BACON Sydney Mardi Gras chief executive Albert Kruger has called for a full NSW police investigation into the circumstances that led to the ejection of one of the original ‘78ers Barbara Karpinski from her seat in the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) during the Mardi Gras parade on Saturday night. He has also initiated […]
Perrottet’s transport train wreck strands millions
Opinion by WENDY BACON The NSW public is still waiting for answers to questions about what Transport Minister David Elliott knew about a planned stoppage of the state train network when he went to sleep on Sunday night. Today Fair Work Commission documents have revealed that NSW Transport made plans as early as last week […]
Disgraced Mayor penalised for misconduct
By WENDY BACON Inner West Council is seeking advice from the NSW government on how a suspension of pay penalty for its Mayor Darcy Byrne will work in practice. On August 3rd, the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) convicted Byrne of four counts of misconduct and two further partial breaches of the NSW Local […]
Byrne tells NCAT he did not understand conflict of interest rules
By WENDY BACON With local government elections postponed until December 2021, Inner West Council Mayor Darcy Byrne faces a possible suspension that could prevent him from standing to continue leading the Council until the postponed election. Inner West Councillors vote for the Mayor, unlike in the nearby City of Sydney which has a popular election. […]
Green Bans Turn Fifty
Opinion by WENDY BACON Fifty years ago last week, two NSW unions took a bold step. At the request of thirteen Hunters Hill women, they agreed to impose a construction black ban (later renamed a green ban) on a small piece of bushland at the junction of the Lane Cove and Parramatta Rivers in Sydney […]
Inner West Mayor guilty of misconduct, finds Tribunal
By WENDY BACON Inner West mayor Darcy Byrne breached conflict of interest provisions and improperly used his power as a Councillor to remove social media comments that he alleged were defamatory, a NSW Tribunal has found. The NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) found the Mayor guilty of four allegations of code of conduct breaches […]
Clues to the missing trust in Greater Sydney Parklands
Opinion by WENDY BACON Is Taking the TRUST out of Sydney’s Public Parklands a Good Idea? On 17th February, an alliance of Sydney community organisations held its first forum at NSW Parliament. The forum 'Is Taking the TRUST out of Sydney’s Public Parklands a Good Idea?" focussed on the new Greater Sydney Parklands, which is […]
