A heated row between female councillors and the mayor in one of Australia’s wealthiest areas has turned ugly, prompting accusations of “North Korea”-like tactics and a furious walkout.
Former North Sydney mayor Jilly Gibson thought a luxury shopping centre should be named after her and include a plaque or even a bust of her.
Instead, after hours of effusive praise at her last council meeting, things turned “petty” when the proposal was rejected by her “political enemy” and she stormed out.
Gibson’s supporters had proposed that the new Burton Street Plaza in the town of Kirribilli, adjacent to the Harbour Bridge on Sydney’s north shore, be named after the woman who dedicated 25 years to local government service.
Surrounded by her grandchildren, friends and a mountain of bouquets, Gibson reveled in the celebratory air in the packed council chamber, where tears of joy were shed.
But just when it seemed like naming the mall after her was a done deal, North Sydney’s new mayor, Zoe Baker, called for a vote on the proposal.
Former mayor Jilly Gibson stormed out of her final North Sydney council meeting after her “political enemy”, mayor Zoe Baker, defeated a vote to name a luxury shopping centre “Jilly’s Plaza”.
Gibson stormed out of North Sydney council chambers after a gushing tribute at her final meeting turned sour when the mayor led a vote to reject her commemoration at a shopping centre.
There was bad blood between the new mayor and her predecessor, with Gibson claiming Baker had not been democratically elected, only worked “part-time” in the job and had a restrictive social media policy that was “more North Korean than North Sydney”.
So when a vote was called, Baker and the majority of council members voted against it, and Gibson erupted.
“What an ending!” he cried. “They have just rejected the amendment that wanted to name a small square after me.”
‘Heartless. Heartless.’
With her farewell flowers in hand, Gibson broke council protocol and yelled directly at her nemesis: “You can warn me all you want, Mayor, that was cruel.
“This has been the cruelest council ever. I’m leaving. You are so cruel, you are so cruel, you are so cruel,” he said, and fled the council chamber towards leafy Miller Street.
On Thursday morning, Google Maps showed that the Burton Street plaza had been renamed “Jilly’s Plaza.”
The name and location pin were removed just hours after it was reportedly reported to Google, but a copy of the temporary name remains immortalized in a screenshot. Posted on Jilly Gibson’s Facebook page, Kirribilli Connections.
After the ‘Jilly’s Plaza’ proposal was defeated in a vote led by Gibson’s political foe, Mayor Zoe Baker (right), it momentarily appeared on Google Maps (left) before the name and location pin were removed.
It was an action-packed end to Jilly Gibson’s council career, which included becoming an independent mayor in 2012 and being re-elected in 2017.
Jilly, the former wife of veteran sports presenter and columnist Mike Gibson, is a well-known public figure across the 14 suburbs of North Sydney LGA.
His council biography credits him with revitalising Sydney’s North Central Business District, with events, art and the renovation of public spaces including Brett Whiteley Place, which honoured the late celebrated painter.
In his farewell speech, before the surprise vote of no contest and Gibson’s dramatic exit, Gibson spoke of his triumphs and regrets, including the controversy over the $58 million renovation of the famous North Sydney swimming pool adjacent to Luna Park.
“Sometimes I think local government is a preschool for bullies who then end up in the federal government and state government,” Gibson said, according to Nine Newspapers.
Gibson’s colleague Dr Martin Williams read tributes from former Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove at his farewell meeting, and there was a call for Hayes Beach in Neutral Bay to be renamed ‘Jilly’s Beach’.
Jilly Gibson’s dramatic exit from her final council meeting led her to shout “you’re evil” at Mayor Zoe Baker and say, “This was the worst council ever. I’m leaving.”
He even “serenaded Gibson with the love poem “A Red, Red Rose” by Scottish poet Robbie Burns, in a Scottish accent.”
Renowned obstetrician Keith Hartman paid tribute, as did former federal MP for North Sydney, Trent Zimmerman.
Gibson’s grandchildren “spoke of how hard she has worked and how proud they are of her” and “there weren’t many dry eyes in the packed halls,” according to Councilman James Spenceley, who had proposed the ill-fated “Jilly’s Plaza” designation.
What happened next was later described on Facebook by Spenceley as “incredibly shocking and disappointing”.
He said the mayor’s minutes of the last council meeting before the local government elections contained “little or no acknowledgement of Jilly’s extensive tenure and efforts over a quarter of a century”.
“The Council has let down the entire community,” he wrote. “By blocking this small honor and recognition, we (simply) did not do the right thing, we did not represent human nature or the community.”
Jilly Gibson (centre right) campaigning a few years ago, with supporters Liz Deegan and Miranda Devine
Jilly Gibson has campaigned for independent candidate and Milsons Point lawyer Pallavi Sinha to become the new mayor of North Sydney.
Ms Gibson has been angry at the way North Sydney Council has been run since she was removed as mayor, posting a video on Facebook in April titled ‘Bring back a popularly elected mayor’.
In the video, she says she was elected mayor by the community, but now the councilors elected the mayor and she thought it was “less democratic.”
“The current mayor was elected at the full council with a single vote,” he said.
“That tends to lead to a situation where the mayor is not working full time and that’s what’s happening now on the council.”
When contacted by Daily Mail Australia, Ms Baker said her job, like that of most mayors, is not a full-time job.
“I’m an elected official and I get a stipend. The exception to the rule is mayors who don’t have another life,” Baker said.
‘I work as a researcher in a law firm.’
Earlier this month, Ms Gibson criticised the council’s new social media policy, which she believed was “clearly aimed at me”.
The policy requires officials to use their full name with the word “councillor” on their social media accounts, along with a “clearly identifiable” profile photo.
“It’s personal, political and just absurd,” she said. “I don’t like to be cynical, but the timing is curious.”
He said it was a serious attack on freedom of expression and something that residents generally disliked.
“It’s extraordinary,” he said. “There are no councils in North Korea, but it’s more North Korean than North Sydney Council. It’s very restrictive and very onerous.”
Ms Gibson recently sold her $4 million Kirribilli waterfront apartment to move to Mosman and has said she may consider running for Mosman council in the future.
She campaigned for independent Pallavi Sinha to become the new mayor of North Sydney.