A Brisbane Greens councillor has rejected claims she distributed an “antisemitic” council-funded newsletter as “shameful and defamatory”.
On Wednesday, Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner released an independent report into Greens councillor Trina Massey over a newsletter she sent to her Gabba constituents in September 2024.
The newsletter, which referred to a “genocide” against Palestinians, included an interview with a Palestinian refugee family who lives in Brisbane and a summarised timeline of the Israel-Palestine war.
Trina Massey says she has always stood against antisemitism and all forms of racism. (ABC Radio Brisbane: Kenji Sato)
The Office of the Independent Assessor received six complaints from residents who said the timeline was biased against Israel, containing no reference to World War II, the Holocaust, or October 7.
The report by an independent investigator retained by council did not find the newsletter was antisemitic but ruled that Cr Massey had inappropriately used ratepayer funds to push a “one-sided personal agenda” not directly relevant to local government issues.
On Monday, council’s Ethics Committee ordered Cr Massey to apologise for the newsletter and to repay the $10,000 used to issue the two-page spread.
At press conference on Wednesday, Cr Schrinner would not say whether the Ethics Committee had any power to compel her to do so, but he said Cr Massey had a moral responsibility to apologise.
“We call on Cr Massey … to stop fanning the flames of hatred and antisemitism,” Cr Schrinner said, referring to the newsletter.
Trina Massey’s newsletter was sent to residents in her Gabba ward. (Supplied)
Cr Schrinner denied the timing of the announcement was related to the Bondi terror attack that killed 15 people in Sydney.
He said he received this report on November 24 and the council had needed time to digest the findings.
Cr Massey said she thought the LNP was opportunistically using the Bondi terror attack to score political points.
“It is disgraceful that this LNP politician would cynically exploit the nation’s grief in an attempt to silence my community’s strong advocacy for peace,” Cr Massey said.
“The LNP lord mayor’s comments today are shameful, defamatory and are not substantiated by the council’s own report.”
Cr Massey would not say whether she would pay the $10,000, saying she was exploring her options.
She has previously denied the newsletter was antisemitic, saying the newsletter was written with input from the Jewish Council of Australia, a Jewish anti-Zionist organisation.