Below is an article from The Leader. It appears that there is literally no end to Lipshutz’s expertise, talent, self-importance, and arrogance. Leaving aside the question of racism, we simply ask:

  • Shouldn’t Lipshutz leave such questions to the Federal Police and/or ASIO?
  • How would any ‘reasonable’ man interpret such as question?
  • We are quite prepared to supply Lipshutz with a dictionary so that he may acquaint himself with the meaning of the word ‘innocuous’!

None of this is new. In fact we reported upon it years ago. See: https://gleneira.wordpress.com/2011/11/05/where-has-the-old-cr-lobo-gone/

No amount of spin can disguise the fact that Glen Eira Council has never been, and continues not to be, the happy ‘club’ that Newton and his cohorts so desperately try to portray, but a council forever divided, secretive, punitive and dysfunctional.

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Glen Eira councillor defends “terrorist” question he asked colleague three years ago

  • Andrea Kellett
  • October 31, 2013 12:04AM

A GLEN Eira councillor who asked a fellow councillor if he had worked for a bank linked to terrorists says the question was fair and innocuous and not racist.

Cr Michael Lipshutz has defended the email he sent to Cr Oscar Lobo three years ago, which was also sent to the other seven councillors, chief executive Andrew Newton and two other officers.

The email was shown to the Caulfield Glen Eira Leader this week – two weeks out from Glen Eira Council’s mayoral election, which Cr Lobo plans to contest.

Cr Lipshutz today confirmed he sent the email, described it as “innocuous” and said it was asked in the context of discussions at the time.

In it he listed six questions he wanted Cr Lobo to answer.

One stated: “Given his long history in the Middle East, whether he personally or any bank with whom he was employed has been involved in transfer of funds to any organisation listed by either the Australian government or the US Government as a terrorist organisation or a supporter of a terrorist organisation?”

Cr Lobo said the email implied he had terrorist links and had offended him and he did not reply to it.

When the Leader asked Cr Lipshutz if the terrorist question was racially motivated or would appear so to the community, given Cr Lobo’s Indian background, he denied his email was racist.

“I’m not saying he was involved,” Cr Lipshutz said.

“That can’t be racist.”

He said he simply wanted more information about Cr Lobo, who at the time had put his hand up to be mayor.

“There was nothing behind it, no attack at all,” Cr Lipshutz said.

“I said it in the context of something that we were discussing at the time, he never answered and I never followed up because there was no need to follow up.”

The email has surfaced at a sensitive time for Glen Eira. On October 15 Cr Lobo, currently deputy mayor, said a fellow councillor had told him he was not fit to be mayor and that officers could not understand him as English was not his “mother tongue”.

“It is a racial discrimination,” he said in the council chamber.

Glen Eira Council’s mayoral elections will be held on November 12 and Mayor Jamie Hyams does not plan to recontest, having served two terms.

Greens councillor Neil Pilling is a likely contender and confirmed he was keen to be mayor, had told his fellow councillors and felt he had a “reasonable chance”.

In 2005 the council at the time was sacked after a municipal investigation found multiple failings that included a “serious break-down in working relationships between councillors”.

Glen Eira Council spokesman Paul Burke said: “The then Mayor Cr Tang responded to all councillors in relation to the email of 27 November 2010 that you refer to.”

“Councillor conduct is regulated by the Code of Conduct adopted by council. The Code provides mechanisms for councillors to deal with disputes and complaints. As with all organisations, employees do not regulate the behaviour of employers.”