Cockburn Deputy Mayor Admits She Lied
NEWLY appointed Cockburn deputy mayor Lara Kirkwood says she paid Councillor Lee-Anne Smith $20,000 for publishing damaging allegations about her in the media in 2018.
She acknowledged having “hurt” Ms Smith who posted overnight that the fallout of Cr Kirkwood’s lies forced her to seek help at Alma Street mental health clinic in Fremantle.
Cr Kirkwood’s online apology comes a week after the local government elections and the day after council appointed her deputy mayor, replacing Ms Smith who held the position since 2017.
This drew mostly outraged posts (see below) demanding Ms Kirkwood resign because they claim electors would not have voted for her had they known she lied about another councillor.
The Cockburn Chat founder elected to council in 2018 after the death of councillor Steve Portelli said: “I admit Ms Smith did not bully or harass me and the false statements in the (media) articles which suggest that she did have hurt Ms Smith and impacted negatively on her reputation. For this I apologise unreservedly. I have paid Ms Smith the sum of $20,000 to settle this matter.”
Ms Smith replied online: “Defamation is not OK! While I was the first to shake the newly elected deputy mayor’s hand and congratulate her, the words ‘lead by example’, ‘strong leadership’ and ‘trust’ referenced in her acceptance speech post felt like a huge slap in the face.”
The East Ward councillor said it took her more than a year and thousands of dollars, “to achieve justice and a written apology”.
She said some of this time was spent in Alma Street mental health clinic where she said she, “met some incredibly resilient and also damaged women. They were not OK and neither was I!”
She asked: “How a person can stoop so low as to make false allegations to a reporter admitting those false allegations hurt and impacted negatively on another’s reputation is beyond me.”
The knives have been out for Ms Smith for some time, Cr Chontelle Sands in August last year having brought a no-confidence motion against Cr Smith for being rude. The motion failed in a 5-5 vote, Mayor Logan Howlett stating councillors could not be banned from using social media to represent their communities, but their opinions had to conform with the council code of conduct.
The same night, Liberal MLC Simon O’Brien mentioned the no-confidence move in Parliament: “I became aware this afternoon that there is a disturbance in the force. This is a serious matter.”
Mr O’Brien, who presently chairs the parliamentary select committee on local government in WA, said, “in the brief communication I had with the Mayor of the City of Cockburn … I said these matters never end well, and my prediction is that this matter will not end well”.
Ms Kirkwood’s online apology received a mixed reaction, a majority of Facebook posts supporting Ms Smith and calling on Ms Kirkwood to resign for duping voters and telling fibs to the media.
“This isn’t the type of person I want representing me on council,” Fish Army co-founder Mike Pritchard said. “If people knew this was her real character they wouldn’t of voted her in.”
Phil Cary: “Disgusting that this person has been elected deputy mayor … How is this person now representing residents as deputy mayor. Shame on Cockburn Council. An absolute disgrace.”
Corey Gaidzionis: “How is she still allowed to serve?
Jane O’Grady: “Disgraceful – that apology was terrible and why mention any $$. I’m sorry you had to go through that!”
John Lyus: “Unfortunately it’s just the tip of the rot that runs through Cockburn council.”
Jason Gill: “She (Lara) should step down from council. Disgraceful behaviour from an elected member. Didn’t see this as part of her campaign spiel.”
Ten Ramos: “Lara Kirkwood, poor form, you are a representative of Cockburn and its citizens. You think paying your way out of it is acceptable, good luck with that.”
Tony Warren: “Whatever way you want to look at this it is a form of corruption, plain and simple, misleading and false information, she should be forced to resign.”
