NOT for the first time, relations between the opposing political camps on Newcastle City Council are looking more poisonous than productive, with the Labor Party taking its battle with Independent Cr Allan Robinson into the NSW parliament, where Newcastle MP and former councillor Tim Crakanthorp is seeking to have the lower house condemn the former jockey for making "homophobic, sexist and derogatory comments regarding fellow councillors".
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With six seats as well as Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes, Labor enjoys a clear majority on the council, usually buttressed by the vote of the lone Green, John Mackenzie.
On the other side of the fence, Cr Robinson sits with three fellow Independents - John Church, Kath Elliott and Andrea Rufo - who with Liberal Brad Luke can find it difficult to make any headway on the issues they believe are important.
Unfortunately for their side, the record shows Cr Robinson resorts all too easily to cheap personal shots and abuse when it comes to his relatively rare contributions to council debate. This time, the abuse poured out during his criticisms of a Newcastle Airport board role taken by Cr Nelmes and paying $50,000 a year on top of her council salary.
It doesn't matter whether Cr Robinson and his supporters think his outdated language plays well in the suburbs, or even whether Labor councillors goad him into action, knowing that their attempts to stop him only encourage him further.
The point is that we are living in an era when identity politics matter, and when "playing the person", rather than debating the issue, is an increasingly unacceptable game. The Independents have every right to pursue Labor over the airport fee or any other issue, but they also need to acknowledge that Cr Robinson's personal abuse has no place in public debate.
Disappointingly, when given a chance to draw a line under Cr Robinson's behaviour, they instead painted themselves as the victims, describing Labor's concerns as "confected outrage" and "the lowest form of politics". Labor's majority means the Independents play a crucial role on Newcastle council, one that should not be obscured or diminished because Cr Robinson won't keep a civil tongue. To quote the councillor, there is an elephant in the room, but it's not on the other side of the chamber.
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