How many examples of poor leadership by Ministers can we count in the last three years? Do we, as members of the community deserve this unprofessionalism?

The rescission of the Safe Schools support motion marks a low point in council business and a grotesque politicisation of what was simply a motion supporting  a program that reduces bullying and youth suicide across Australia. 

Despite no evidence that Safe Schools was anything less than a great program, ultra conservative councillors drove hard on an extreme right-wing agenda to get the original motion thrown out. And the threats to repeatedly call rescission motion after rescission motion if this one failed is simply a (sadly) successful attempt to bully other councillors into supporting the dogmatic rescind motion - a very poor precedent and a sad day for local politics and worse, a sad day for local at risk gay, lesbian and trans kids. Good on those councillors who stood their ground against bullying in schools and in council chambers and shame on those hard right-wing councillors who are simply adopting the hate agenda from Bernardi and Chriistensen and their extremist ilk.

Firstly, I would like to thank everyone who voted for me in the council elections last year, it was a humbling experience. I have been resisting to comment on council affairs but I must commend the councillors for rescinding the motion to support the program of “Safe Schools Coalition” and I would like to explain why.

While I don’t think programs offered in NSW schools are the responsibility of council, and most ratepayers would prefer council to focus on their own core responsibilities, the bullying issue is one that should concern the community.

Most people don’t realise that statistically children who are bullied at school are A) more likely to become criminals, B) More prone to domestic violence and C) much more likely to commit suicide or be involved in substance abuse, so the facts show that reducing bullying in schools has a positive impact on our community.

Statistically one in three children experience bullying at school (one in four regular bullying) and one in five children experience cyberbullying. LGBIT related bullying affects about one in 120+ students. If as a community we want to stop bullying we should focus on all bullying, including LGBIT, but not limit a program to a smaller demographic. 

Two weeks ago the BDN published an emotional letter from a reader in Candelo who was concerned about LGBIT suicides, however the increased suicide risk is across all bullying victims, not exclusively LGBIT.

The program provided by the “Safe Schools Coalition” originally supported by council focuses on LGBIT bullying and has come under intense fire for social engineering children’s sexuality with age inappropriate material, but broadly speaking it is a program that supports a narrow demographic and ignores the greater bullying problem.

Clearly the controversial program initially approved by council does not meet the needs of our community and I applaud council for reconsidering it merits. Likewise should council still wish to support an anti-bullying program I publicly offer to sit on a committee to choose the right one and I invite the reader from Candelo mentioned above to join me.