The fading afternoon sun cast long shadows over the steps of Parliament House on April 16, as former Whittlesea mayor Aidan McLindon took centre stage – albeit before a modest crowd.
It was 4pm in Spring Street, and while the buzz of tram bells and pedestrian chatter carried on around him, the now-former mayor of Whittlesea stood alone yet defiant in front of a single camera operator.
“I was the mayor of Whittlesea until 8am this morning,” Mr McLindon declared.
“At the direction of the governing council, I have been asked to stand down – this is a very dark day for democracy in Victoria.”
Just hours after being formally stood down for six months by the local government minister, Mr McLindon arrived in the heart of the state’s political district to deliver his rebuttal – raw, unfiltered and deeply provocative.
Last month, he spoke defiantly outside the Whittlesea Council chamber to a plethora of his supporter-base. Wednesday’s audience was sparse.
But Mr McLindon appeared unfettered, claiming he was being punished for daring to speak truths “no one else has the guts to say.”
Among his grievances: being stripped of his personal assistant, barred from speaking with fellow councillors, and accused – in his mind without evidence – of bullying and aggression.
“We are in urgent need of a Royal Commission into local government in Victoria,” Mr McLindon said.
“Make no mistake, this is democracy versus bureaucracy. And I will be the first cab off the rank.”
Mr McLindon’s fury turned towards cultural battles too, insisting his removal was linked to controversial remarks in regard to rainbow flags.
“Do I have regret for saying the rainbow flags or whatever colour it is today need to be out of our childcare centres? No way,” he said.
“They are re-wiring our children. Who’s going to stand up and say it as it is?”
When pressed by Star Weekly about the potential mental health impact on LGBTQIA+ children hearing such statements from a public figure, Mr McLindon dismissed concerns.
“I work with these kids,” Mr McLindon said.
“This isn’t about sexuality, it’s about what we’re doing to the minds of five-year-olds. It’s disgusting, cut it out.”
Despite ten fellow councillors having written to the minister calling for him to intervene, Mr McLindon waved away the significance as “Toxic culture. Simple as that.”
Mr McLindon painted a picture of a council in disarray, a system stacked against independent voices, and likened his likely political demise to a warning shot for anyone who dared challenge the status quo.
“Caesar judging Caesar,” he scoffed.
“They’ll call me a racist or homophobic – but I haven’t done anything wrong. I’ve been doing my job.”
Mr McLindon said he was speaking with lawyers to challenge his dismissal, but was resigned to the fact the inquiry could ultimately result in his dismissal from council altogether.
“You know what? I’m at the point of who cares,” Mr McLindon said.
“They’ve got the power to do whatever they want.”
There was an unmistakable sense that whether the former mayor can regain a position on council or not, there is zero intention of him going out quietly.
As the public address drew to a close and the light over Spring Street faded, Mr McLindon shifted his focus to broader problems plaguing local government.
“Whittlesea has had a terrible past,” Mr McLindon said.
“But I don’t think Whittlesea is isolated from the problems we are facing. We need a commission into local government in Victoria. It must happen to see any justice in this state.”
For more on the story: https://tinyurl.com/5397trp5
