‘City embraced diversity when they elected me’
The man set to become the Gold Coast’s longest-serving councillor has defended the council against criticism it’s not racially diverse enough.
Experienced councillor Bob La Castra is running for an eighth term representing Carrara and Ashmore and is being challenged by first-time candidate Monique Jeremiah.
The Diversity Models agency owner, speaking at the Gold Coast Central Chamber of Commerce’s Meet the Candidates breakfast on Wednesday morning, said she wanted to bring greater diversity to council.
“The Gold Coast has a place, which has a very Australianised environment,” she said.
“I’ve been here 28 years, I love the Gold Coast and I think we can grow and improve and be a place where people feel they belong.”
Ms Jeremiah (inset) said the council needed to do more to draw in tourists and embrace more cultural pursuits, such as European markets,
“We have Chinatown, which is an amazing investment, thanks to (former councillor) Dawn Crichlow, but do we have influences for European markets and other she said.
“Look at why people go to Sydney and Melbourne.”
But Mr La Castra bristled at Ms Jeremiah’s comments, saying the council had strong credentials on diversity in its ranks.
“In case anyone hasn’t noticed, I’m actually black,” Mr La Castra said.
“I think our city embraced diversity when they elected me and since then they have elected markets,” a Thai-Australian mayor (Tom Tate), so I think we are leading by example in terms of embracing culture and diversity.”
Mr La Castra, if re-elected on March 16, will become the city’s longest-serving councillor after the retirement of Daphne McDonald. He pointed to Ms McDonald’s retirement alongside three other incumbents and said the next council needed experience alongside the new faces.