Jonathan Sri, newly-elected Brisbane City councillor, has ended a stirring first speech in city hall with a rap verse. For real.
The Greens party representative, who also told the Brisbane Times he is the city’s first elected representative to live in a share house, used his first speech to highlight causes dear to him, including homelessness and Indigenous welfare.
"I note that Brisbane's Murri communities are deeply affected by the continuing removal of Aboriginal children from their families, and by disproportionately high incarceration rates and deaths in custody,” Cr. Sri said.
"I acknowledge the ongoing good work of the many under-funded community organisations who provide social support services to First Nations people within the Gabba ward, and I'll make particular mention of the Brisbane Aboriginal Sovereign Embassy in Musgrave Park, with whom I hope this council will develop a more positive and supportive relationship over the coming years."
He went on to discuss homelessness in the city, claiming "Homelessness is rife in Brisbane.”
"Hundreds of Gabba ward residents lack stable accommodation, and right now, there are hundreds – if not thousands – of apartments sitting empty. This tells me that our current approach to housing and urban planning is deeply flawed.
"There are some who seem more concerned about the fact that I don't wear a tie and suit jacket to council than they are about the fact that people are sleeping rough on the streets of this city."
So far, Cr. Sri is highlighting concerns many of us would share about our local cities and communities. He might have lost a few of us however, when he finished the speech with a weird spoken word, Def Poetry Jam-style, verse. In Brisbane’s City Hall.
The verse included #barz including “I am of this city / its history is my history / my scraped knee and my favourite tree / and swimming lessons in the pool at Craigslea Primary” and “Roots down, stolen ground / dead trees, river brown / I know something's awry in this city / but I can't quite put my finger on it / It's like we've outgrown the garden bed”
Was this a little out of line, or do you support rapping in council meetings? Should this year’s Federal election include an MC battle between Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten? Maybe Laurie Oakes could grow dreads and be a Mekhi Phifer style host.
You can follow the link in the Tweet above to see the speech in full, including the hot bars.
