This photo of councillor Samantha Dunn at last month’s Sugarloaf pipeline protest at Parliament House has caused a stir.By Melissa Meehan
LYSTER Ward councillor Samantha Dunn has come under scrutiny for her affiliation with the Greens Party.
Cr Dunn’s political beliefs were brought under question during public question time at last week’s council meeting after a newspaper photograph showed her at the anti Sugarloaf pipeline protest at Parliament House last month.
In the photograph in the Mountain Views Mail and the Upper Yarra Mail she was seen holding a placard with both a Shire of Yarra Ranges poster and Greens party poster side-by-side.
During last week’s meeting, Healesville resident Valma Owen asked through new CEO Glenn Patterson whether the placard was not only an indication of Cr Dunn’s affiliations but also the shire’s.
Cr Dunn refuted the suggestion that the placard was an indication of the shire’s affiliation with the Greens party.
“The shire has certain views that are not affiliated with the Greens party,” Cr Dunn said.
“But I was voted into council as an endorsed Greens candidate.”
She said that she had never hidden her political views and said her placard should not be interpreted as showing an affiliation between the shire and the Greens.
“At the pipeline muster, (for the Sugarloaf pipeline) I was there as a member of the community who opposed the pipeline,” Cr Dunn said.
“At the council meeting on 12 February, the council voted to oppose the pipeline until any water savings could be proven and it just so happened that the Greens also oppose the pipeline.”
Cr Dunn said that there was no conflict in relation to the views of both organisations.
“I am an endorsed Greens councillor and I wear both symbols with pride,” Cr Dunn said.
