Mayor turfs new dad from job because of his caring responsibilities. So, we have a new deputy mayor of Byron Council. It’s going to have little impact on most ratepayers’ lives, but it is absolutely extraordinary that Mayor Ndiaye explicitly cited Councillor Dods taking parental leave to look after his newborns, as well as his ongoing caring responsibilities, as the reason to turf him from the job. We should be celebrating and supporting new dads that take on their fair share of parenting, not discriminating against them and sacking them.
In her own words, Councillor Dods was doing an ‘excellent’ job as the deputy, and he stated explicitly that he was able to undertake all the required duties, while still being a dad.
Imagine if these comments were made about a new mum. If this were an employment situation, the mayor would be in front of Fair Work in a heartbeat. Maybe our new Deputy Mayor Elia Hauge wants to consider if this is really how she wanted to get the job.
Asren Pugh, Bangalow
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