MALLEE domestic violence survivor Kim O’Reilly says she will write to ministers and the council asking for Cr Smith to step down and apologise.
The 2022 Victorian Australian of the Year nominee said she was “disgusted” by the councillor’s views.
“The position he holds as a councillor in 2022 is supposed to serve in the best interests of the community, maintain high standard of conduct and fight for our rights,” she said.
“I don’t see any representation of this in his degrading, ignorant and abhorrent comments.
“What example is he setting? Men in power can do as they please, behave as they please?”
The “It’s NEVER ok” campaigner said she would write to Local Government Minister Melissa Horne and Gannawarra Council asking for the councillor to step down and to publicly apologise.
“It’s NEVER ok for you to put your hands on someone else,” she said.
Member for Mildura Ali Cupper said she was worried about the mental health of Cr Smith and hoped he could be provided “a level of support to get to a place where he can be a fair-minded human being”.
“His comments are truly shocking and so disappointing,” Ms Cupper said.
“For someone in a position of community leadership to hold those views about the low value of women and women’s dignity and to express them with such boldness and confidence is highly unusual, so I hope he is okay.
“I don’t believe in forced apologies but after some wise counsel then maybe he might understand the offence he has caused.”
Ms Cupper, a former deputy mayor of Mildura, held the gender equality portfolio when she was a councillor prior to winning the state election as an Independent MP.
“Women are not second-class citizens and I think most people are on board with that,” Ms Cupper said.
“What he is saying that half of the human population is unworthy and he is devaluing half of the world. What he is supporting is that women are there to be used and abused.”
Ms Cupper said while it was important that women like herself had a voice on issues of gender equality, “a moment like this really calls for the blokes to step up”.
“That is really important, whether it is the men at Gannawarra Council or men in the AFL. They need to lead that conversation,” she said.
“These are horrifically misogynistic views so how can we help you reach a place that is fair and reasonable?
“This is not a strong person, this is not a tough guy, this is a position that he has taken that is sad and pathetic and we need to help him.”
