Voice of Byron

NSW Government MLC Catherine Cusack has attacked Byron Shire Council, one of its Councillors, and members of the Byron Bay Community Centre under parliamentary privilege.

Byron Shire Councillor Paul Spooner has released a statement refuting Cusack’s allegations regarding the Community Centre.

Cr Spooner says, “On 6 March 2018 under the cloak of parliamentary privilege Catherine Cusack (MLC) made a series of incorrect statements about the Byron Community Centre – a not-for-profit organisation.

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“Neither Ms Cusack nor her office contacted the Community Centre to test any of her allegations.

“We are happy to compare our performance of service against Ms Cusack’s performance.”

MLC Cusack claimed the Byron Bay Community Centre “provides almost no services” in her attack, and also claimed the BBCC income derived from managing the Byron Bay Markets “is going into Paul Spooner’s pocket.“

She also accused Cr Spooner of bullying.

“Paul Spooner has been bullying a representative of Rainbow Markets, Ian Brown, who opposed the plan to relocate the markets,” she claimed.

Cr Spooner supplied a graphic contrasting the Byron Bay Community Centre’s performance with that of Ms Cusack’s over the past twelve months.

Cr Spooner said the Byron Community Centre would welcome Ms Cusack making her claims outside Parliament.

“Even better, we’d love Ms Cusack to visit the Community Centre to see first hand the vital work we do. Ms Cusack has an open invitation.

“It does everyone, including Ms Cusack and her colleagues, a disservice to make misinformed statements and use parliamentary privilege to tower over local, not-for-profit community organisations.”

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