Latest news with #AnthonyMarsh
Sky News AU
5 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Mornington Peninsula Shire Council in damage control after replacing Australian flag with LGBTQ Pride flag on school flyer
An image of the flyer, which advertised kindergarten registrations for 2026, went viral online on Monday, with councillors meeting on Tuesday to reaffirm the importance of the national flag in a vote. The LGBTQ+ flag was displayed instead of the Australian flag alongside the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags. Mayor Anthony Marsh on Thursday told "going forward" the council will ensure the Australian flag is included on all publications and materials it puts out. 'All children are welcome at our kindergartens," Mayor Marsh said. "The flyer in question was produced before Council clarified its position on the use of flags. Going forward, where flags are flown or appear in Council publications or materials, the Australian Flag will be included. Council will ensure this is applied consistently.' On Tuesday night, Councillor Bruce Ranken brought the motion as a matter of 'urgent business' which did not 'sit within policy' and said a response was needed to be made to show the community this incident was 'not good enough'. While the motion was passed 9-1, Councillor Max Patton voted against the motion over concerns the motion would have 'unintended consequences' citing Victorian Government policy which is 'acknowledged as a prominent flag as well'. Councillor Patton told on Thursday he wanted to make it abundantly clear the absence of the national flag on the publication was an "oversight" which needed correcting, but he wanted a clearer explanation of how ratepayers would be affected if the motion was passed. "If a footy club or community group leases a shire building and only has one flagpole with their flag on it, will they be forced to remove their flag and fly the national flag? Will ratepayers be forced to pay for an additional flagpole so both can be flown? There is a chance that this could turn into quite an expensive exercise, and I want to know how we will be impacted before making a decision," he said. "I would have supported a motion calling for a report into how this happened and making measured recommendations for a policy-aligned path forward. But without knowing how it might financially impact our community or clubs who lease our buildings or ratepayers I could not support the motion." CEO Mark Stoermer said the policy did not cover printed material and that discussions had taken place internally to change the policy. Cr Ranken said the motion was to provide boundaries to ensure the national symbol was 'never overlooked'. 'It also brings consistency, clarity and respect to our practices, guided by national protocols and supported by a review of current procedures,' he said. 'The core of this motion is straight forward, it affirms the Australian national flag as the primary and preeminent flag across all Mornington Peninsula Shire buildings, properties and events where flags are displayed.' Cr Ranken said the motion sought to 'prioritise' national standards and the council's own policy within the organisation so there is 'no confusion, and no repeat' of an instance of omitting the Australian flag in the future. Mayor Marsh said flags had been a problem 'for a while' and noted the matter was not a question of 'flags on poles', which councillors had debated, but the display of flags on documents and other communications. Mayor Marsh said he had received calls at 10pm on Monday and 'all throughout the day' on Tuesday and said the motion was something 'we need to get right'.
Sky News AU
03-06-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
‘Disgusting': Local Victorian council blasted over featuring flags including LGBTQ+ banner but not Australian flag on kindergarten registration flyer
A local council in Victoria has been blasted for leaving out the Australian flag on a kindergarten flyer that displays three others including a LGBTQ+ banner. A picture of the flyer issued by Mornington Peninsula Shire, which encourages parents to register their children for kindergarten in 2026, has garnered heavy criticism since being shared on social media on Monday. The flyer featured Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and LGBTQ+ Progress Pride flags below the council logo, but Australia's national flag was left off the leaflet. One Facebook post shared a photo of the flyer and begged the question 'where is the Australian flag?' as commenters reacted with disdain and bewilderment. 'This is disgusting, we live in Australia,' one comment read. 'We are all represented by one flag. Only a very small percentage of people are represented by the other three,' another person said. Some comments took aim at the council itself, with one comment saying, 'Another example of what they shouldn't be doing with our rates'. Another Facebook user shared the picture alongside scathing remarks, saying she was 'disgusted' by the handout. 'Apparently the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council no longer consider us Australian,' she wrote. Mornington Peninsula Shire Council mayor Anthony Marsh has revealed he and chief executive officer Mark Stoermer did not know the flyer existed before it came under fire on social media. "This flyer was produced and distributed without the knowledge or endorsement of the Council, me as Mayor or the CEO. We are investigating how this occurred and will fix it," Mr Marsh told "I acknowledge that the lack of the Australian Flag has caused concern. I understand our flag policy is being updated to ensure it is featured on every document where flags are shown, and I suspect this will now be expedited as a result of this issue." A larger than usual turnout is expected at a Mornington Peninsula Shire Council meeting on Tuesday night, and arrangements have been made to 'ensure safety for attendees,' according to council's website. 'Council meetings are conducted in a respectful and structured manner, and we appreciate the community's co-operation and adherence to this approach,' the notice said.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Thousands of attacks recorded on paramedics in 12 months as public told 'show respect to our staff'
West Midlands Ambulance Service workers were attacked a shocking 3370 times in the last 12 months. WMAS staff are subjected to incidents of physical, verbal abuse or aggression whilst doing their job every day. Nationally, there was a 15 per cent jump with a record 22,536 cases recorded nationally across 14 ambulance services. READ MORE: Gym-goers queuing at 'only working machine' slapped with parking warnings at Solihull leisure centre READ MORE: Common drug taken by millions increases dementia risk 33 per cent, warns neurologist Read More: Robber's 'three weeks of hell' in prison led to Birmingham rampage upon release The statistic were released as WMAS launched a social media campaign - 'How We Treat Each Other Matters'- to encourage members of the public to be respectful to ambulance staff. The Trust keen to reiterate it does not and will not tolerate abuse and violence directed towards our workforce, with legal action always being pursued. Following the release of the worrying figures, Chair of the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE), Jason Killens, has written to ministers responsible for ambulance services in the UK to explore what can be done to combat the growing number of violent assaults. Get the latest BirminghamLive news direct to your inbox He said: 'These figures are truly shocking and reflect a pattern of increased violence, aggression and abuse directed at hard-working ambulance people who are there to help people in their times of greatest need. "Frontline staff as well as call handlers are affected by this horrendous abuse and this unacceptable behaviour has a major long-term impact on the health and wellbeing of ambulance people who are simply trying to do their jobs and help save lives. "This situation is now so serious that we are seeking to engage with UK health ministers at the highest level to explore new interventions that could help deter potential perpetrators of these attacks. "We would also underline again that it is vital that the judiciary uses all available legislation to ensure appropriate sentences are handed out consistently to those found guilty of committing these horrific crimes against our workforce." Chief Executive Officer, Anthony Marsh, said: 'For many staff, this sort of abuse can have a profound impact on their lives with some staff never recovering and actually leaving the service altogether. "While it is a minority of people who commit these offences, we need the public to support us to make such abuse something that is unacceptable.' WMAS Head of Security and Safety, Dan Knight, said: 'Everyone deserves to come to work without fear of abuse, aggression or violence from the public. Whether that be our staff on the frontline, Patient Transport Services staff or those who work in our control rooms. 'The message is simple, abuse will not be tolerated and appropriate actions will be taken when these incidents occur. 3370 incidents of abuse and violence is 3370 too many. "We hope with the launch of this campaign, it will be an important reminder to the public that showing respect to our staff, who are ultimately only trying to help people, should be a given."
