Western Sydney Cumberland City councillor and libertarian Steve Christou has called for change from retailers over the lack of Easter decorations in local shopping centres.
Cr Christou singled out Stockland Shopping Centre Merrylands, saying he had received “numerous complaints from irate residents” about the issue.
In a Facebook post, Cr Christou explained that when local residents contacted centre management, they received responses ranging from “claiming ignorance to [stating] ‘we are a diverse community’.”
He said, “The apparent segregation of the Christian community is disgraceful and should be called out.”
In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Cr Christou added, “We are still a Western Christian country and our traditions should be prioritised… While we’re tolerant of other cultures, we cannot denigrate our traditions and, you know, evaporate them and pretend they don’t exist.”
He claimed that the issue causes more angst in the community when people “realise that, hey, our traditions and our religious beliefs are being erased for minority cultures.”
Within a day of Cr Christou raising the matter with Stockland Merrylands, Easter signs and decorations appeared throughout the centre.
In an official statement, the centre said, “Easter campaign starts approximately two to three weeks prior to Easter, with signage, activities and communications rolling out progressively during this period.”
Cr Christou criticised the response, saying “it’s a very convenient narrative to inform me that they’d be putting up the Easter decorations within the next day after I’d written to them and after consistent community feedback.”
Cr Christou’s fellow councillor Joseph Rahme, also criticised David Jones’ Parramatta store for its lack of decorations. However David Jones has not taken action and Rhame has received no response from store management.
Cr Christou will now be requesting for the Cumberland City Council to display Easter Banners on their side of Granville. In a Facebook post he confirmed he has “written to Councils General Manager in regards to this issue.”
At this Wednesday’s Council meeting, Christou plans to ask the Labor Mayor “if she believes Easter Banners should have gone up earlier and be erected at the beginning of Lent.”
Source: The Daily Telegraph
