Deputy Mayor- declares himself 'most senior'

http://www.toonpool.com/cartoons/boss%20yes-men%20ja-men_100209

Yesterday was the first meeting of the reconvened Children's Services Reference Group, which is something I aimed at reviving in my last days of the last Council. So its great to see its reformation and the focus on how Shoalhaven City can do things better for kids 0-12years.

It was a full house with at least 15 community representatives in attendance from all the major children's services across the City including Cullengutty Children's Centre, Family Day Care, Noah's, East Nowra Family Services and the mobile pre-school.

Interesting but not surprisingly the majority of people in the room were women. Women who have been in the  'care' industry for a long time, skilled in running business', applying for grants, dealing with government agencies, all of them extraordinary in their talents to numerous to list.

The men in attendance Alan Blackshaw Council's manager of community development, Deputy Mayor John Wells, and assistant Deputy Mayor Alan Baptist.

I found that telling- that all three men in attendance were of rank ( Blackshaw) or considered themselves to be high ranking ( Wells and Baptist)

I nearly choked when Wells declared himself the 'the most senior Councillor in the room' and I so wanted to call him out - I would have done so by declaring "I hope you are referring to your age Sir" for that would have been closer to the truth, instead of the false attachment of power that he claimed.

So why do I find his declaration of power a problem-

The title Deputy Mayor is 'given' to a Councillor by her/his peers through an election process- it is not a rank- merely a position of assistance to the Mayor.

 All Councillors are of equal status other than the Mayor who has the ability to make decisions on behalf of Council between meetings ( often then ratified by the whole Council).

It is arrogant to assume a rank that you have no claim to and says a lot about Mr Wells attitude and considering the company that seemed to apply to his attitude towards his women colleagues female Councillors White, Tribe and myself.

I found it especially arrogant that Mr Wells would promote 'the agenda of rank and heirarchy' in a meeting dominated by women, I wonder if any of the other women found his declaration as insulting as I did.

Women often struggle to punch through the glass ceiling of gender roles and in the committee room yesterday we were faced with a classic male power hierarchy.

During the meeting I assisted the newly elected chair Clr Gemma Tribe by holding her baby and attending to the babies needs. At the conclusion of the meeting Mr Wells congratulated Clr Tribe on her meeting and me for my care skills- would he have done this if we were males- I sincerely doubt it.

My final word on this - Deputy Mayor - Councillor Wells is part of the transformation task force overseeing the restructure of Council. I am concerned that his self declared power will affect his ability to ensure gender balance in the restructure or will we see more of the same old school approach to gender norms.