Cumberland Councillor Steve Christou has dramatically resigned from the Our Local Community party, just weeks after the Local Government Election.
Christou released a statement confirming he would sit as an independent.
“My disappointment that my Our Local Community Councillor Colleagues met with Labor Party Members trying to work out a deal around the Mayorship of Cumberland City Council,” Christou said.
“The meeting which was attended by my two fellow Our Local Community Councillor Colleagues was hoping to negotiate a Labor and Our Local Community partnership to support each other for a term as Mayor. I was never in favour of this arrangement and had made my feelings expressly clear that I would not vote for such an arrangement when voting for the Mayor in Councils Chamber.
“Furthermore I could not understand the willingness to enter into an arrangement which would include supporting my political opponent Councillor Ola Hamed to be installed as Mayor with the support of my own party. For over five years and two Council terms I have worked very hard to turn the Council seat of Granville from a safe Labor Seat where two Councillors should be getting elected into a marginal seat ensuring the Labor Party is only able to have one Councillor elected to the Granville Ward.”
Christou also attributed the breakdown of the relationship between the Our Local Community Group and the Liberal Party Councillors to his decision.
“Whilst I do not agree with the decision of the Liberal Party Councillors to enter into an alliance with the Labor Party and install a Labor Mayor discussions between the Our Local Community Group and the Liberal Party should never have deteriorated to the point they are now,” he said.
Christou said he wished his Our Local Community Colleagues all the best moving forward.
Troy Dodds is Parra News' Managing Editor and Breaking News Reporter. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia’s leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.