A PLOT to dump the prayer from the start of Albury Council monthly meetings has bombed.
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First-term councillor John Stuchbery could only muster the backing of deputy mayor Amanda Cohn and her predecessor in the role, Cr David Thurley, for the change to the council’s code of meeting practice on Monday night.
Supporting the status quo were mayor Kevin Mack and councillors, Graham Docksey, Darren Cameron, Murray King, Alice Glachan and Henk van de Ven.
The prayer, which was updated in the 1990s, reads: “Lord, we ask you to guide us in our decision-making and protect us and the community we serve from all that is evil and strengthen our unity for the welfare of the city, Amen”.
Cr Stuchbery said he likened a council meeting to a business gathering and a prayer wasn’t required.
“I cannot see any place for a prayer in this particular forum,” he said.
Cr Cohn said she would be “delighted” to second the motion and there was no need for a prayer in local government and cited the examples of Wodonga and Federation as councils which didn’t have one.
“It was changed in the 1990s and it is time for us to change it again,” she said.
“I don’t have a problem with religion, but what I have a problem with is religion in a public, civic institution like Albury Council.
“We are elected by the residents of Albury to run the city council and prayer should be left up to religious groups who offer spiritual guidance to the community.”
Cr Thurley compared the move to the recent failed proposal to introduce a booze ban on Monument Hill on Anzac Day.
Cr Cameron said if it was good enough for federal and state parliament to begin sittings with a prayer then so should local government.
“When you are elected to council, the council doesn’t become your personal play thing,” he said.
“It doesn’t become a Lego box you can play with and construct things.”
Cr Glachan said there was no reason to abolish the prayer.
“We don’t have to be Christians to respect the prayer,” she said.
Cr Graham Docksey said the prayer wasn’t a big issue to Albury residents.
“We have bigger issues to undertake,” he said.
Cr King said he respected the council prayer’s historical significance.