During a council meeting, a photograph of Queen Elizabeth was ‘insensitively’ removed from the wall amid jokes and laughs, sparking a heated argument.
Tim Stephens pulled the picture from the wall of the Ashfield council chamber, prompting Sydney’s Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne to label it “superfluous.”
John Stomolis, a local independent council member, was furious, while other council members laughed.
Mr. Stomolis stated, “It was really inappropriate and insulting, especially during this period of grieving.”
Tim Stephens, a Sydney councillor (shown on the left with the image), removed a portrait of the Queen from the Inner West council chamber’s wood-paneled walls.
Following the demise of the Queen, the council’s leaders debated what to do with the painting, while a woman in the room urged them to “be courteous.”
During a Tuesday council meeting break, Councillor Stephens removed the photo from the wall and originally propped it against a wall behind a row of desks.
He subsequently delivered the document to the mayor and general manager for safekeeping.
On video of the event, a woman can be heard shouting, “Don’t insult it,” which elicited laughing from councillors as they returned to their seats.
As the mayor and general manager evaluated the artwork, the same woman’s voice can be heard saying, “Please place it on the floor in a respectable manner.”
Mayor Darcy Byrne then joked, “It’s now obsolete!”
‘I mean, it’s not like you’re giving away an asset,’ he continued, eliciting additional laughter.
During the remainder of the meeting, the photograph of the late Queen remained behind the mayor.
Independent John Stomolis criticized Labor councilmember Tim Stephens over the removal of the image following Tuesday’s Inner West Council meeting.
Councilman Stomolis stated that he was enraged and had waited to see if anyone else would speak.
Despite his own personal republican leanings, he praised Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s display of respect for the event.
“The Prime Minister would want the same amount of respect from the councillors,” he told the Daily Telegraph.
The mayor (wearing blue on the right) quipped that the painting was “redundant,” eliciting laughter in the chamber, but he has since sought guidance from the Commonwealth about when to replace it with a portrait of King Charles.
Mayor Darcy Byrne (shown with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese) stated that his statement was in response to a colleague’s query that was not audible from the gallery.
Councilman Stephens stated that he did not want to show disrespect by removing the painting.
In light of the demise of the Queen and the accession of the new King, I deemed it fitting and respectful that the Queen’s image be withdrawn from the Council Chamber during an official period of mourning, he added.
The mayor stated that his comment about the image not being an asset was a response to the General Manager’s remark that his wife could be interested in acquiring it.
He is unclear of the process regarding the removal of the Queen’s image, therefore his council has consulted the Commonwealth for guidance, which they will adhere to.
Following the meeting, the portrait of the Queen was restored on the wall of the Inner West council chamber, where it remains to this day.
Earlier in the meeting, the council had submitted a Condolence Motion for the Queen, which was backed by councillor Stephens, the mayor, and only Marghanita Da Cruz of the Greens.