A furious argument has erupted between two left-wing councillors during a meeting of Cumberland City Council in Sydney’s western suburbs.
The Wednesday night meeting had to be adjourned by Mayor Ola Hamed after an argument broke out between Muslim independent councillor Ahmed Ouf, and Labor councillor Diane Colman which began during a discussion about an Easter event scheduled for next year.
Mr Ouf, an Egyptian immigrant pharmacist who regularly posts about the war in Gaza and ran for the seat of Blaxland in the May federal election, was speaking in favour of the event when he told Ms Colman, who described herself as a “strong advocate for women’s equality and empowerment”, to stop talking.
Chaos at a council meeting in western Sydney as dispute erupts between left-wing Cumberland City councillors Ahmed Ouf and Diane Colman.
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“Can you just shut up when I’m talking, okay?” Mr Ouf said. “When I’m talking this is my time, not your time. When I talk, you shut up, okay?”
“Oh, point of order, Mayor, point of order,” Ms Colman responded.
“Why is she talking while I’m talking? Why is she taking from my time?” Mr Ouf continued as Ms Colman yelled “how dare you?”
“You just keep your mouth shut while I’m talking. I never, ever spoke when you were talking or having time.”
Ms Colman then stood up and screamed: “You cannot speak to me like that. You show me some respect. How dare you speak to me like that? How dare you?” Who do you think you are speaking to?”
“Then show respect so you can be respected. When I’m talking, you stay shut,” Mr Ouf responded.
After Mayor Hamed called an adjournment Mr Ouf withdrew his statement and apologised, but said he wanted respect while speaking.
Both councillors have since made statements about the clash, with Ms Colman saying it looked like a case of “extreme misogyny” and Mr Ouf calling that a “mischaracterisation” in comments to The Daily Telegraph.
“It was very confronting,’’ Ms Colman said, while claiming she was unable to sleep the night of the clash.
“I’ve barely spoken to him and every conversation I’ve had with him was very cordial. It was so out of the blue.’’
But Mr Ouf said he never meant to disrespect Ms Colman or “make any comments based on gender, race, or religion”.
“While I understand that Councillor Colman has interpreted my response differently, I believe calling my words ‘misogynistic’ is a mischaracterisation of what transpired,’’ he said.
“I have always been committed to promoting respectful and constructive dialogue, and I regret that the situation has been misinterpreted in this way.’’
At the time of the 2021 Census, Cumberland Local Government area was just 39.7% Australian-born, with 10.6% of the population saying they had Australian ancestry, and 26.6% speaking only English at home.
Header image: The council meeting (Cumberland City Council).
