Canterbury Bankstown Council: Unopposed election of Mayor and Deputy Mayor

During its first Council meeting on Tuesday 15 October, following the local government elections, Councillor Bilal El-Hayek was re-elected Mayor while Karl (Khodr) Saleh was elected Deputy Mayor, both unopposed, before a packed gallery of cheering family, friends and supporters.

Deputy Mayor Khodr Saleh OAM vowed to keep the Palestinian flag flying at the council until a ceasefire is reached in Gaza calling for an end to the Israeli genocide in Palestine and Lebanon.

During his first speech Mayor Bilal El-Hayek thanked his wife, Maysa, and his four children who were present, and the community for their unwavering support saying, “I am honoured and humbled to be re-elected to represent one of the largest Councils in Australia.”

He further added that while delivering for the community must be a priority, he referred to the Palestine issue saying, ‘we must also have a heart and soul.’

“If that means showing support, or speaking out for those who need a voice, whether it is speaking up for domestic violence victims, or raising funds for the homeless, or taking a stance and highlighting humanitarian concerns abroad, I will not resile from doing so,” Mayor El-Hayek said.

Bilal El-Hayek was first elected to the merged Canterbury-Bankstown Council in 2017 and served twice as deputy Mayor before being elected as Mayor in May 2023 and now re-elected again as the mayor.

Deputy Mayor Khodr Saleh OAM has served as a Councillor since being elected in 2004. He previously served as Deputy Mayor on the former Canterbury Council for three terms.

Speaking at the first ordinary meeting since Council election on 14 September 2024, vowed to continue work hard to ensure “Canterbury Bankstown City Council is not only a capital of interfaith harmony and multiculturalism but also a capital of humanity.”

“I want to thank the thousands of community members who put their trust in my team and voted for us. To those residents, I say: Thank you for putting your trust in me and giving me the opportunity to represent you again. I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and continue working to get the job done,” Councillor Saleh said.

He further added, “We will continue working hard to clean up our streets, build more roads, footpaths, and car parks, and fight to keep our council rates fair. We will also continue to stand against racism in our city. We will be the community’s voice for humanity in Gaza and Lebanon, keeping the Palestinian flag high in the council chamber until the genocide ends and there is a ceasefire in Gaza.”

Canterbury Bankstown Council was the first Australian city council to raise the Palestinian flag in support of the struggle of Palestinian people amid the genocide being committed in Gaza for more than a year by the state of Israel.

Memorial to Palestinian victims in Gaza opens in Canterbury Bankstown

Canterbury-Bankstown Council stands firm: Palestinian flag to fly until true ceasefire

The makeup of the new Council consists of eight Labor, three Liberals, one Community Voice of Australia, one Greens, one Our Local Community and one Independent. Nine of the councillors have been re-elected, while the remaining six are starting their first terms.