'Deluded' councils criticised for trying to get involved in activist campaigns

Victorian councils have been criticised for attempting to tackle controversial issues like flying political flags, promoting indigenous treaties and raising century-old ethnic disputes.

The City of Monash has been divided over a bid by some councillors to discuss ways of recognising the Armenian genocide which occurred a century ago, The Herald Sun reports.

Monash Mayor Rebecca Paterson has since issued a statement accusing councillors of stoking unnecessary controversy by pitting one ethnic group against another.

Meanwhile, City of Yarra councillors have voted to temporarily fly the so-called Co Vang flag - a Vietnamese community symbol linked to the South Vietnamese regimen which was defeated by the Communist forces in 1975.

Columnist for the Herald Sun, Rita Panahi, told Sunrise councils should stick to the basics like “keeping rates low and collecting rubbish”.

“They’re forgetting what their core responsibilities are,” she said.

“We have frustrated activists getting on council and then using their position to push their own personal political agendas that have nothing to do with council business - we have to put a stop to it.

“Most people couldn’t tell you who their local councillor is or their mayor.

“But just because you don’t know who they are doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be subject to the same scrutiny that state and federal pollies are.”

Tim Webster from Talking Lifestyle Radio Network said he “absolutely” agreed with Ms Panahi.

“You couldn’t be more spot on,” he said.

“There was a council in Sydney a few years back that wanted to take down pictures of the Queen because they were allegedly offensive. Listen, pick up our garbage, look after parks and childcadre centres and then mind your own business - talk about delusions.

“We also need to look at the broader picture – there’s 26 million of us and we are massively over-governed. One of the tiers of government need to go.”

Ms Panahi agreed and said state government could “absorb local councils” and that we “don’t need this many politicians talking about things that don’t even concern them”.

“Quite often there are people who think council business is beneath them - they have delusions of grandeur and they want to be talking about big issues like same sex marriage refugees and indigenous issues,” she said.

“We want them to pick up the rubbish, keep our rates low and do what they are supposed to do.”