CAMPAIGNING for the forthcoming council elections has reached a grubby new low after a councillor launched an astonishing personal attack on mayor Dino Zappacosta, linking him with Griffith’s dark drug past.
Cr Pat Pittavino drew gasps from the gallery at Tuesday night’s council meeting when he made a debate on the mayor’s appearance on A Current Affair personal by raising the conviction of the mayor’s brother on a drug-related offence.
“I’m curious and concerned in one way at some of the comments you made given your family’s history. Your family were … one of the pioneers of the large marijuana (operations) in the city. I really have a problem with it,” Cr Pittavino said.
Speaking yesterday in response to the comments, Cr Zappacosta warned Cr Pittavino not to start “throwing stones”.
“I’m not too sure where he was coming from, and all I can say to Cr Pittavino is whatever information he was referring to he should be very careful,” Cr Zappacosta said. “There was an incident regarding him not more than two years ago regarding something that was never reported,so he should really think twice before he starts throwing stones.”
The comment from Cr Pittavino was the low-light of a meeting that saw councillor after councillor lining up to take the mayor to task over his apparent complicity in a less than flattering portrayal of the city.
A question from the gallery asking the mayor to explain his involvement in the segment provided the opportunity for the councillors to pounce, as one by one they derided the mayor for his naivety in agreeing to be part of what was an obvious stitch-up.
Cr Peter Fussell, who accused the mayor of dishonestly representing the intentions of ACA to the 600 people at Pioneer Park, said Cr Zappacosta was aware that the focus of the story was on drugs and not the positive elements of life in Griffith.
“None of us knew, because you didn’t have the honesty to tell us, that you had already had them at your winery talking about running people out of town,” Cr Fussell said.
“To do that to the very good people who were out at Pioneer Park waving their hands around and singing. Your dishonesty is despicable.”
Crs John Dal Broi, Anne Napoli, Mike Neville and Pat Cox all expressed their disappointment with the segment and the mayor, with only Cr Allan Bennett taking a more conciliatory line.
“I’m sure they’ve also done a number on our mayor,” Cr Bennett said. “A few selective words have become the focus of the story. I found the whole story to be of really poor taste.”
Despite the flood of criticism from within the chamber, Cr Zappacosta said he had received considerable praise from the public since the program.
He said he approac-hed the interview with caution, seeking every assurance it would be a positive story.
“I have no regrets about appearing on the program,” he said. “As the mayor it is my responsibility to represent the people and to advocate on behalf of the people. I was quite firm in my interview about how I felt about the illegal activity of some people in the community.”
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