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Mehajer loses in Auburn deal reversal

Suspended Auburn deputy mayor Salim Mehajer has lashed out at two of his colleagues, calling them “dole bludgers” and claiming they are jealous of his success.

Mr Mehajer sent the stinging rebuke to Irene Simms and George Campbell via text message after they publicly supported a decision to rescind two developments that he stood to profit from.

Government-appointed administrator Viv May on Wednesday night approved a motion to rescind two development applications put forward by Mr Mehajer at the council’s first public meeting since it was suspended by Local Government Minister Paul Toole earlier this year.

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Mr Campbell described Mr Mehajer’s message as an “extraordinary rant” while Ms Simms said Mr Mehajer’s claims were “ludicrous”, “didn’t justify an answer” and “offensive words from a bitter little boy”.

One of the applications was for the site of a community car park on John Street in Lidcombe and the second was a rezoning decision known as the South Auburn Planning Proposal.

Mr Mehajer’s family business stood to make a multi-million-dollar profit from a residential development proposed for the car park and would have benefited from the rezoning decision.

Salim Mehajer

Salim Mehajer previously revealed he wants to run the country. Photo: Nine Network

Ms Simms attended the meeting and said that the decision to scrap the proposals was a “win for the little people”.

Fellow suspended councillor George Campbell was also present and said “the administrator was correct to rescind two very dodgy decisions”.

But in a text message, obtained by the ABC, Mr Mehajer on Thursday morning delivered a sharply-worded spray against the two former councillors and asked them to explain why they referred to the developments as “dodgy”.

In it, Mr Mehajer detailed his dealings with the council in relation to the two projects before asking “can you explain what ‘wrongdoings’ had been advanced by myself? Or what part of the above appears to be read as ‘dodgy’?”

“Both of you seem to always hold such negative ideologies and have set ‘anti-development’ ideals, yet when it comes to me or someone with an ‘olive complexion’ lodging a development application, I/we are grossly targeted,” he wrote.

“Or perhaps it is because I don’t have enough ‘grey hairs’? Or perhaps you may all suffer from tall-poppy syndrome?”

The lengthy text message continued with Mr Mehajer writing “it appears everyone must be reminded of their positions in life”.

“I’d like to remind the two of you ‘dole bludgers’ that it is I, and indeed people like myself that is [sic] paying for that slice of bread and capsule of butter sitting on your kitchen bench.”

Councillor fires back at ‘bitter little boy’

Responding to Mr Mehajer’s message, Ms Simms said they were just “very offensive words from a bitter little boy”.

“I work, I work part-time and I have never been on the dole,” Ms Simms said.

“I have never, never treated anyone according to their age or according to their nationality.

“It’s such a ridiculous comment that it really doesn’t justify an answer.”

Mr Campbell said Mr Mehajer was “relying on insults and abuse” because he had “nothing of substance to say”.

“It tells us more about the psychological condition of the writer than it does about the people he’s attacking,” Mr Campbell said.

“I don’t judge people according to their skin colour or their hair colour – I’ve got grey hair and he will [too] one day.

“The term ‘dole bludger’ is a term of abuse, an insult, and I think it is offensive to a lot of people who are unemployed through no fault of their own.

“The last time I was on unemployment benefits was well over 30 years ago.”

Auburn Council is currently the subject of an independent public inquiry which has been set up to examine its planning decisions.

-ABC

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