Wyndham council is investigating complaints against Cr Intaj Khan over an online stoush in which one of his critics was labelled a “faceless, racist pussy”.
The Facebook exchange erupted last month after criticism of Cr Khan’s plans to build a $9.5 million mansion in Tarneit.
Wyndham council chief executive Kelly Grigsby said the council was aware of the incident and confirmed that official complaints had been lodged against Cr Khan.
“Councillors are all aware of their obligations under the code of conduct,” she said. “We are currently addressing the most appropriate course of action.”
One of the complainants, Michael Young, who engaged in the debate on Facebook, said he felt compelled to report the behaviour to the council as he found the comments “insulting and threatening”.
“I want to stand up and fight back. I’m not going to back down because someone has more power than me,” Mr Young told Star Weekly.
“If something is on the front page of the paper [In-Taj Mahal, Star Weekly, March 16] we have the right to say what we feel about it.”
A Facebook post on Alan Brown’s Point Cook Wall of Shame, which accompanied the Star Weekly article revealing Cr Khan’s plans for the mansion, read: “Did you vote for councillor Intaj Khan at the last council elections for the Harrison ward … if you answered yes … get someone to give you a big kick up the ass”.
A response, under Cr Khan’s facebook profile, stated: “Get a life bro. You racist pig, jealousy is a curse … take all your inappropriate comments off your face book (sic). Official warning mate.”
As residents questioned the response, the debate continued over several hours and involved many users.
Local government act
Section 76BA of the Local Government Act states that councillors must avoid conflicts before his or her public duties as a councillor and his or her personal interests and obligations; must treat all persons with respect and have due regard to the opinions, beliefs and responsibilities of … persons; and must exercise reasonable care and diligence and submit himself or herself to the lawful scrutiny that is appropriate to his or her office.
Cr Khan declined to comment.
Meanwhile, Cr Gautam Gupta has defended his role in a video promoting one of Wyndham’s Holi festivals, which promoted him as the mayor of Wyndham.
The video features shots outside the mayor’s office, with text stating that the event had “the support of Wyndham’s mayor … Cr Gupta”.
Cr Gupta is the acting mayor in the event that the present mayor is on leave. The mayor, Adele Hegedich, was not on leave at the time.
Cr Gupta said he had nothing to do with the editing of the video, and that he had since clarified online that his title is “acting mayor”.
