A 29-year-old man has been charged after he allegedly assaulted Cumberland City Council Mayor, Steve Christou, outside a polling booth at a Merrylands school on Saturday.

Video of the incident posted online shows Cr Christou, in an orange shirt, in a heated verbal and physical altercation with a man in a white shirt and grey shorts.

Cr Christou was allegedly assaulted before bystanders intervened to break up the incident.

In a statement to The Greek Herald, Cr Christou said he was “feeling good” and thanked all the people concerned about his welfare after the incident.

“I can’t comment too much but it’s very disappointing that a candidate put up to represent the community has to be subjected to this type of behaviour,” Cr Christou said.

“I’m also disappointed that Labor continue to endorse Councillor Ola Hamed, who was standing behind the bloke recording it all and inciting the problem.”

The 29-year-old man will appear in Fairfield Local Court next month.

The families of senior police officer, Joanne Shanahan (nee Panagiotou), and mother, Tania McNeill, who were both killed in an Adelaide car crash in April last year, have spoken out today about their grief.

Harrison Kitt, 21, was charged with two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and one count of causing harm by dangerous driving, but was found not guilty by reason of mental incompetence in August.

He will serve a limiting term under mental health supervision instead of a prison sentence.

READ MORE: Harrison Kitt found not guilty of crash that killed Joanne Shanahan and an Adelaide mum.

In response, the McNeill and Shanahan families have said in their victim statements they would forever struggle to come to terms with that fact.

Ms Shanahan’s daughter, Eleni, who was originally intended to travel with her mother that day, said Mr Kitt had created “many victims” with mental illnesses of their own.

“This was not a car accident, it was not an accident at all – it was a crash, and no one else is at fault except one single driver who managed to survive,” Eleni said, according to The Advertiser.

“No matter mental health, there was still a criminal act … I hope that Harrison can take responsibility for his actions.”

Ms Shanahan’s father, Nick Panagiotou, urged Mr Kitt not to seek their forgiveness saying it was “unfair to ask more of us” and “feels like a slap in the face.”

“As much as your family believe you were not to blame, we don’t agree – you were the one driving the car that killed my daughter,” he said.

READ MORE: Police officers and SA community bid public farewell to Joanne Shanahan.

Ms Shanahan’s husband, Peter, said he has chosen to be “grateful” for what he has “rather than what I have lost.”

“I choose to forgive Harrison Kitt, I choose to be a person who (strives) to have a positive impact on everyone I meet,” Mr Shanahan said.

Judge Paul Muscat remanded Mr Kitt on continuing bail for further submissions in a fortnight and thanked the families for their statements.

READ MORE: Husband and children of Greek Australian Senior Police Officer Joanne Shanahan returned to crash site.

Source: The Advertiser.

A coronial inquest has today heard that a woman’s last words to her family were “I got pains, I got pains” before she died as part of the St Basil’s Fawkner COVID-19 outbreak.

According to The Australian, Androula Aristudou broke down in tears when she explained to the Victorian coroners court the circumstances leading up to her mother’s death in July last year.

Ms Aristudou said the last time she spoke to her 98-year-old mother was via Facetime where she encouraged her mum to “tell the nurse where are your pains to help you.”

Later, Ms Aristudou told the court that her mother was transferred to hospital twice in the space of just one week.

The first time was on July 17 when staff at St Basil’s Fawkner told Ms Aristudou her mother had tested positive to COVID-19. Hospital staff later told Ms Aristudou her mother was “asymptomatic” and on July 19, she was returned to the aged care facility.

Ms Aristudou was told by staff at the facility her mother was “eating, drinking and walking with her frame in the hallway” but despite this improved condition, she was transferred to hospital again for “better care.”

After ringing the hospital directly to find out where he mother had been moved to, Ms Aristudou was told by a nurse over the phone that her mum “was very confused, very weak and that she couldn’t talk.”

Her mother died the next day on July 26.

In a statement, which was read out by Counsel assisting Peter Rozen QC to the court, Ms Aristudou said “not even animals should be treated like this.”

“The level of care that was received at St Basil’s was very poor and was very disturbing. Due to such an advanced country. I would never thought this would happen,” one part of the statement reads.

The five-week coronial inquest into the deaths of residents at St Basil‘s will hear from about 65 witnesses, including nurses, centre managers and family members of the loved ones who died.

Source: The Australian.

The executive director of Business Sydney, Paul Nicolaou, has written to Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg calling on the government to let age pension recipients earn more.

According to The Daily Telegraph, Mr Nicolaou believes older workers can fill the hospitality vacancies left behind by a shortage of backpackers and international students in Australia due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

But this is only possible if the Federal Government comes to the party.

In his letter, Mr Nicolaou wrote that “currently under Work Bonus, a pensioner can earn up to $300 of employment income a fortnight… without reducing their pension.”

READ MORE: Business Sydney executive director Paul Nicolaou on why shops remain closed despite the end of lockdown.

“Increasing the limit would allow pensioners the opportunity to earn more money in this current climate and would help businesses who are struggling to find staff have access to a pool of potential workers,” he continued.

The idea has been backed by a number of hospitality industry leaders including the founder of Doltone House, Paul Signorelli.

Treasurer Frydenberg did not respond to requests for comment.

READ MORE: Executive Director of Business Sydney, Paul Nicolaou, calls for a ‘minister for Sydney’.

Source: The Daily Telegraph.