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Outrage as mayor notices portrait of queen ‘excess’ as it is REMOVED in mid-meeting: ‘Highly insensitive’
- A joking joke at a council meeting has thrown a forward-thinking mayor into hot water
- His comments followed the removal of a photo of the Queen from the room
- Many laughed in the hall, but a decidedly independent hit back in the local press
- Sydney’s Inner West council has sought advice from the Commonwealth
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A furious spat has broken out after a portrait of Queen Elizabeth was pulled ‘insensitive’ from the wall midway through a council meeting amid jokes and laughter.
Inner West mayor Darcy Byrne labeled the painting “superfluous” because it was removed from the wall of Ashfield’s council chambers by Councilor Tim Stephens.
But while some councilors laughed, local independent councilor John Stomolis was furious.
“It was very insensitive and disrespectful, especially at this time of mourning,” said Mr Stomolis.
Sydney Councilor Tim Stephens (pictured left) took a portrait of the Queen from the wood-paneled chamber walls of the Inner West Council
Council leaders deliberated what to do with the portrait after the Queen’s death (pictured), while a woman in the room told them to “be respectful”
Councilor Stephens plucked the portrait from the wall on Tuesday during a break in the council meeting, initially leaning it against a wall behind a row of desks in the hall.
He then took it to the mayor and the general manager for safekeeping.
Footage of the incident shows a woman saying ‘don’t respect it’, which sparked laughter in the room as councilors returned to their seats.
As the mayor and general manager inspect the painting, the same female voice can be heard saying, “Put it on the ground with respect.”
Mayor Darcy Byrne then joked: ‘It’s redundant now!
“I mean, it’s not like giving away an asset,” he added with more laughter.
The portrait of the late queen then sat behind the mayor for the rest of the meeting.
In the wake of Tuesday’s Inner West Council meeting, the independent John Stomolis spoke out to Labor councilor Tim Stephens about the removal of the portrait
Councilor Stomolis said: he was furious and had wondered if anyone else would say anything.
He praised Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s show of respect for the occasion, despite his own personal Republican leanings.
“The prime minister would like councilors to have the same level of respect,” he told the… Daily Telegram.
The mayor (dressed in blue on the right) joked that the portrait was ‘excess’, causing the room to laugh, but has since sought advice from the Commonwealth on when to trade it for a portrait of King Charles
Mayor Darcy Byrne (pictured with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese) has said his comment was only in response to a question from a colleague who could not be heard from the stands
Councilor Stephens said he had no disrespect in removing the portrait.
“In light of the death of the Queen and the accession of the new King, I found it appropriate and respectful in a period of official mourning that the portrait of the Queen be removed from the Council Chambers exhibition,” he said.
The mayor added that his comment that the portrait is not an asset was in response to the general manager’s comment that his wife might like to have it.
He does not know the official protocol for the removal of the Queen’s portrait and his council has sought advice from the Commonwealth which they will adhere to.
The portrait of the Queen was restored to the wall of the council chamber of Inner West after the meeting and remains on the wall there.
Earlier in the meeting, the council had tabled a condolence motion for the queen, which was supported by Councilor Stephens and the mayor and voted against only by Greens councilor Marghanita Da Cruz.