By KIERAN FINNANE
Last updated 6 September 2019, 8.08am.
A majority of her colleagues have effectively put Councillor Jacinta Price on notice that they will not continue to unquestioningly accept her absences from council meetings.
Left: Cr Price, centre, with Crs Marli Banks and Glen Auricht. Photo from our archive.
At the August end-of-month ordinary meeting they rejected her apology. She was away, she had said, for reasons of “work”.
It being rejected meant that she was absent without permission from council. Under the Local Government Act (S39) if this were to happen in two consecutive ordinary meetings, she would cease to hold office.
A formal vote is taken on the acceptance of apologies at ordinary meetings. To my knowledge, this is the first time an apology has been rejected.
It was easy to miss. Mayor Damien Ryan asked for a mover and seconder for a motion to accept. It was moved by Cr Glen Auricht, seconded Cr Jamie de Brenni.
In favour? Against? I didn’t even look around the room to count hands, it is usually so automatic.
“In the negative. Thank you,” said Mayor Ryan.
No-one said anything and business moved on.
The Alice Springs News has previously drawn attention to Cr Price’s record of absences. This was before the federal election in May which she unsuccessfully contested. Since resuming her seat on council her attendance has continued to be erratic.
She apologised, “business commitments”, for the ordinary meetings of May and June. These apologies were accepted.
She attended the July meeting by phone. Phone attendance is only available for the open section of the meeting. And as noted, she did not attend the August meeting.
I contacted Cr Price for this report, welcoming her comment. She did not reply.
Friday, April 19, 2024
The freedom of the press still furnishes that check upon government which no constitution has ever been able to provide – Chicago Tribune.
Really! Why is this so surprising? She does nothing anyway, just brings her negativity to all that oppose her.
Get rid off her, she’s only there, when she’s there, for her own selfish glorified reasons.
Seems pertinent to note what she’s actually doing instead of her council duties. She’s on a publicity tour on the east coast and doing interviews with far right hacks Alan Jones and Andrew Bolt. This comes after doing an hour long YouTube interview a couple of months back with a neo-nazi supporter of Fraser Anning, suggesting the Lingiari election was rigged and nodding along to racist conspiracy theories while holocaust deniers argue in the live chat. Is it time someone staged some kind of intervention before she’s too far down the rabbit hole of toxic right wing politics? Regardless, she’s unfit for public office.
She’s trying to get message out that all Indigenous people don’t dance to the same beat. Time the toxic culture of abuse of women and children by Indigenous males was addressed by Indigenous people themselves, and stop the blame game of whitey being the cause of all problems.
Let the children get into mainstream life, give them a chance.
Aside from her obligations regarding council, Jacinta is performing a great service to the wider Australian audience.
Her perspective, whilst not agreeable to all, is valid and of merit.
About time! She is only a name on paper! She does not have Aboriginal people at heart. It’s all about her. Change the record, Jacinta, you’re dancing to the wrong beat.
Kick her off. We need strong Arrernte people on Council like Cr Catherine Satour. Price was only on Council to seek attention, like everything else she does. Almost feel sorry for her.
I wonder if Price will be at the special meeting about the gallery?
@ Helen Parkes: Jacinta Price has done nothing but sing, literally. No record of note in remote policy implementation, program management, programs with women, children or families at risk, prisons, substance abuse etc etc etc. Regardless of political persuasion, surely you see that?
If you call singing kids songs with Yamba experience in the bush, then lets remember all that (+ her business exploits) are paid for by the tax payer / Indigenous grants and that’s hardly the gut-busting work needed in the areas you speak of.
You Jacinta supporters really need to do some self reflection and ask, what has she really done? Name us the initiatives, perhaps? The self-glorifying speaking tour? Social media battles?
It speaks volumes that as an elected offical, paid to be there and expected to present at council meetings, is now being reprimanded by her own political allies from her campaign for being off all the time chasing her own fame rather than doing the job this town elected her to do.
The council is dysfunctional enough as it is and despite the big promises, she has done nothing on the council to actually address the issues she pretends to care about and campaigned on to get on Council.
When she stood for Lingiari in the election, despite having the eyes of the country on her and the ability to do something truly meaningful for the Territory, she produced exactly zero policy regarding the issues she pretends to care about and put very little on the table for us regarding infrastructure and economic policy to turn the Territory around.
That right there should have been the major warning sign to all of us that she was not actually fit for the job and she was a paper tiger. Once it was clear that the writing was on the wall and Snowdon was about to pull off another win, she carried on like a spoilt brat on social media.
Not a good look for the CLP and the moderates who voted for her just trying to get some action on the issues.
Having sat back and looked at it for a while, I think her whole public persona is based around the fact she spotted a very strong undercurrent of anger and insecurity from people who are pissed off with the status quo of violence and crime around town and played the people in this town like a fiddle by telling them what they wanted to hear. Tough on this, tough on that but no actual substance.
Now that it’s all fallen over now she’s tapped this town for as much as it was worth, she’s off to greener pastures to do it all again to city folks over east.
In retrospect, despite all the hype and hot air around her bringing change and so forth, I think she never actually had any real answers and frankly, I suspect she never will.
I think its time to move on Ms Price.
Jacinta is too busy going around talking about her people and putting them down, both herself and mother Shouldn’t they be hands on working with and for their community instead of building a political career with the fascist/racist ideologies she is manifesting across the nation, saying she can walk into any Aboriginal lands and don’t need welcome to country at her speeches She needs to know her business. We can’t go into Walpairi country without their acknowledgement. Message stick has been around before colonisation so we can travel safe within and to other countries in this here lands. She has her own agenda and that’s not serving the people of ALICE SPRINGS. Alice Springs need their own people to work on council who are original from there, who knows the people and grass roots, not a airy fairy displaced girl who eats off a silver spoon.
Prior to Jacinta being on the council, what did council do to assist the Aboriginal communities around Alice Springs?
Can’t blame Jacinta for not getting things done. If she has the backing of council it’s easier to get things done. Takes time.