Steve Christou

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Steve Christou

Steve Christou (born 23 January 1978) is an Australian politician who serves as a Councillor on the Cumberland City Council for the Granville Ward, in Western Sydney, New South Wales. Christou previously served as Mayor of Cumberland City Council from September 2019 to January 2022.

Contents

Christou is a current member of the Our Local Community political party and a former member of the Australian Labor Party. He also has an association with the One Nation party. [1] He holds conservative family and religious values and right-wing political views.

Early and personal life

Christou is a child of Greek Cypriot refugees. His parents came to Australia in 1976 after the 1974 invasion of Cyprus by Turkish forces. Christou was born in Erskineville, in Sydney's inner-west and in 1985,  his family moved to Penshurst, in Sydney's south, where Christou was raised. He is one of three children.

Christou was raised in a working class family. His mother was a seamstress and his father, a factory worker. He was educated at St Mary's Catholic School (kindergarten - year 2), Penshurst Public School (years 3-6), Hurstville Boys High School (years 7-10), and Peakhurst High School (years 11 and 12).

Christou has twin daughters, aged 18, and a step daughter aged 27. He is engaged to his partner, Viki Pavleska.

Political career

Christou was a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) for nearly 18 years, and served as his workplace union delegate when employed at Woolworths Granville prior to entering politics.

In 2007, the year the Rudd government was elected, Christou began working as an electoral officer for federal minister, Laurie Ferguson and held this position for nearly 10 years.

In 2017, Christou first ran for council under the newly amalgamated Cumberland City Council, [2] which became one of the five biggest councils in New South Wales, and represents approximately 245,000 people. Christou was elected as councillor for the Granville Ward in September 2017.

In September 2019, Christou was elected as Mayor of Cumberland City Council under the Labor party. However, during his acceptance speech, [3] resigned from the Labor party after almost 18 years of membership, citing his personal view that the party no longer represented working class values. Christou stated that he wouldn't have Labor head office dictating to him how he should vote on same sex marriage and late term abortions.

Christou joined the Our Local Community (OLC) political party in 2019. At the 2021 local council elections, Christou was re-elected to his seat in the Granville Ward. With the Labor Party being elected into majority, Christou's Our Local Community Party became the opposition and he did not contest the Mayoral election. However, he kept his seat as councillor for the Granville Ward which he continues to hold today.

Christou ran in the 2022 Australian federal election for the seat of Parramatta. He got 2.39% or 2,011 votes.

Political views

Christou holds conservative right-wing political views and has an active interest in a number of political and social issues.

COVID-19 lockdown

During the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns in Sydney in 2020 and 2021, Christou publicly criticised the Berejiklian government on the restrictions and curfews imposed on residents of Western and Southwestern Sydney, including in the Cumberland local government area, of which he was Mayor at the time.

Christou expressed his disappointment in the state government and was vocal in questioning the fairness of the lockdown restrictions, curfews, mandatory surveillance testing, permits for authorised workers, and limiting exercise to one hour per day as well as limiting movements of no more than five kilometres from a person's home. Christou stated that the lockdowns and restrictions were akin to living in "Nazi Germany and Kazakhstan [4] " citing disparity in rules between the eastern and western suburbs of Sydney. [5]

When Victorian Premier Dan Andrews classified Cumberland Council as a Red Zone [6] and banned Cumberland residents from entering the State of Victoria, Christou held a press conference labelling Dan Andrews a "bedwetter" and offered to send him a "box of Huggies Baby Nappies".

During Covid lockdowns, Christou defied Covid Health Restriction recommendations and instructed his Council to hold Australia Day Celebrations and festivities. Christou labelled other Councils who had cancelled Australia Day celebrations as "unpatriotic bedwetters".

Christou was one of several local Mayors who pushed the Berejiklian government to lift curfews and lockdown restrictions. [7]

ISIS Brides Repatriation

Christou was very critical of the Federal Government's decision to bring back and repatriate families of ISIS fighters. [8] Christou criticised the Federal Government as rewarding treachery, and stated that they are likely to be "dumped in Western Sydney".

Christou labelled the individuals as treacherous, 'un-Australian', and problematic stating that they are "most likely to have their hand out for Centrelink payments and take away housing resources from Australian families who need the support".

Australia Day Celebrations

Christou is a supporter of retaining Australia Day celebrations on January 26th. [9] He has previously heavily criticised change the date supporters and labelled councils that do not celebrate Australia Day on January 26th as unpatriotic.

LGBTQ+ motions

In February 2024, Christou proposed a motion to stop drag queen story time for children in the local Cumberland government area. [10] The motion was initially denied. However in a rescission motion, to which local residents turned up to the Council meeting to protest in support of Christou's motion, the proposal was passed and drag queen story time events were banned from being held at public facilities in the Cumberland region, including libraries and halls.

In May 2024, Christou was the Councillor who proposed a ban on same-sex parenting books [11] in the eight libraries located in the Cumberland local government area. Initially the proposal was passed at a Council meeting. However, it was overturned two weeks later following community backlash [12] and a warning from the NSW government that the proposal may be in breach of the anti-discrimination act and Cumberland-based libraries could lose its state funding.

Christou publicly spoke about the ban, [13] stating that the proposal reflected the views of the multicultural and religious communities that live within the Cumberland City Council jurisdiction. He said the ban was to protect children from sexualisation and not targeted at same-sex couples.

The book ban gained widespread media coverage resulting in a highly publicised meeting of Cumberland councillors to vote on a rescission motion to revoke the ban. However, the rescission motion was passed and the book ban reversed.

Voice to Parliament

Christou opposed the Voice to Parliament referendum. In a public statement, [14] Christou criticised the 'yes' campaign as being out of touch with Australians. He cited the cost of living crisis and housing shortages as the more important issues for governments to address. Christou held the view that The Voice undermines Australian values, and does not fairly acknowledge the pioneer settlers of Australia, and diminishes multiculturalism and promotes inequality of the diverse cultures and nationalities that contribute to Australian communities.

Since the Voice, Christou has been vocal against proposed council partnerships with indigenous land councils and made a commitment to stop Welcome to Country, and smoking ceremonies if elected at upcoming council elections, citing the goal of better representing Australian values as well as the diverse cultures within the Cumberland community.

Community affairs

Child care assistance

In 2020, as part of his response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Christou led an appeal to the federal government seeking financial assistance for local councils.

Following the federal government's announcement of its JobKeeper Program and Early Childhood Education and Care Relief Package, Christou wrote to then federal treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, and education minister, Dan Tehan, seeking for councils to be permitted to participate in the JobKeeper program. He then publicly announced that all 17 council-run child care centres would permanently close unless they were awarded JobKeeper payments for the workers in the childcare centres. The appeal was successful and federal financial assistance was provided to the Cumberland council.

Western Sydney Two Blues Rugby Union Club

Christou petitioned NSW Rugby Union and its semi-professional competition, the Shute Shield, after plans were announced to merge three western sydney clubs, including the Western Sydney Two Blues, Penrith and West Harbour in 2021.

Christou criticised the decision and led a media campaign, highlighting the Cumberland council's $13.5 million investment to upgrade the Two Blues home ground, the Eric Tweedale Stadium. [15] Christou called for support of the Two Blues club and a three year period to enable the club to leverage its new sporting facility and bring in new sponsorships. The challenge of the club amalgamation was successful.

Wakeley Church Stabbing

Following a knife attack at Christ The Good Shepard Church in Wakeley in 2024, Christou publicly condemned the attack and called for calm, encouraging restraint, peace and unity within the western Sydney community. [16]

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References

  1. ↑ "Sydney Forum". Pauline Hanson's One Nation. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  2. ↑ "History of Cumberland City Council | Cumberland City Council". www.cumberland.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  3. ↑ Silmalis, Linda (20 November 2022). "Daily Telegraph".
  4. ↑ Narunsky, Gareth. "Mayor apologises over Nazi Germany comparison". www.australianjewishnews.com. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  5. ↑ "'Absolutely disgraceful': Southwestern Sydney mayor questions equity of lockdown rules". SBS News. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  6. ↑ "Mayor from last remaining NSW 'red zone' blasts Dan Andrews". 3AW. 2021-01-22. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  7. ↑ "Sydney mayors call for end to lockdown in 'heated' meeting". Australian Financial Review. 2021-09-14. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  8. ↑ Evans, Lauren (November 4, 2022). "Cumberland City Councillor Steve Christou labels ISIS repatriation an 'absolute betrayal' to western Sydney residents".
  9. ↑ "Mayor slams 'cheap' excuse to cancel Australia Day celebrations". Yahoo News. 2021-01-10. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  10. ↑ Karacsony, Laurence (23 February 2024). "Cumberland City Councillor Steve Christou doubles down on stance to reject drag queen story time in his locality". Sky News.
  11. ↑ McLeod, Catie; Rose, Tamsin (2024-05-17). "Three Sydney councillors who voted for a same-sex book ban were from one party. What's behind it?". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  12. ↑ "Western Sydney council investigated over decision to ban same-sex parenting books". 9now.nine.com.au. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  13. ↑ Gorrey, Anthony Segaert, Megan (2024-05-15). "As it happened: Cumberland City councillors meet as same-sex parents book ban debate rages". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2024-07-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  14. ↑ "Steve Christou on LinkedIn: Media Release Cumberland City Council Former Mayor & Current Councillor..." www.linkedin.com. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  15. ↑ Phillips, Sam (2021-06-18). "'Smacks of jealousy and elitism': mayor's extraordinary Shute Shield spray". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  16. ↑ "Bishop and churchgoers allegedly stabbed during live-streamed service in Sydney". 7NEWS. 2024-04-15. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
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