By Cam Lucadou-Wells
OUTSPOKEN Casey councillor Sam Aziz has been elected as mayor a record third time – the first in Casey to serve back to back.
At a special council meeting on 10 November, Cr Aziz was elected unopposed.
He declared economic development, community safety and cultural harmony as major objectives for his 2016-17 term.
After the meeting, he announced two new portfolios for councillors – families, and community harmony.
Cr Wayne Smith would take the reins of the new arts, culture and community harmony portfolio. He would work closely with the three councillors assigned to community safety.
In a pointed rebuff to Narre Warren South MP Judith Graley’s slogan for Casey to embrace diversity, Cr Aziz said “we don’t like the word diversity because we believe we all part of the human race”.
The mayor said the council would help “a community that has a problem with its young people”.
Though an enforcement arm was important, the council wanted to also help engage disaffected youth in programs to connect them with the community.
Cr Aziz dismissed Multicultural Affairs Minister Robin Scott’s invitation to work hand in hand with the state government on the issue.
“The state government has accused us of being racist. That’s why they made the initiative.
“We’re not planning on throwing mud at them.”
Cr Aziz said Casey was a model of harmony, comprising 152 different cultures, 110 religions and more than 100 languages.
“Some countries go to war with just two cultures. We’re an example of great harmony.”
The council will also zero in on creating 3000 jobs from defence industries, including foreign investment from allies Canada, New Zealand, the US and the UK.
Casey would also look at economically strategic sister city relations in China and “further afield”.
More on the story tomorrow.
