Labor is always trying to donate their time, money and efforts to helping others! The libs only look after the Big end of town

Actually, the Liberals did not want the pay increase in the first place. Labor is pretty good at donating residents money, but I dont know about donating their own. I am donating my pay increase to the NSW Cancer Council. Fighting cancer is a cause that is close to my heart and the NSW Cancer Council does great work.

Actually, the most important issue at hand is that charities and the needy are the winners, regardless if your Liberal or Labor , or who doanated what and to whom. If Zaya Toma is giving his increase to the NSW Cancer Council, i congratulate him for doing so, as that cause is also close to my heart. Whilst many of us privatly donate to many worth while charities. I can say that the motivation for donating the funds by the Labor Mayor and Councillors, was to acknoledge, that at the current time, many local families are doing it tough. It was decided that we as community representatives, lead by example publicly, in our own small way, by giving the increase in our allowance , to local residents in need, through the Mayoral fund. The proposed pay increase was dertermined by an independent tribunal, the funds do come from fairfield ratepayers, that is why, it was decided that those funds should be allocated locally. Hopefully through this publicity, it is hoped that people that are capable of giving, are reminded that there are alway those in need, regardless if they are local residents, charities or as Zaya Toma has eluded to the NSW Cancer Council. Frank Carbone

I have no intentions of intruding into the very personal sphere of how a councillor ought to spend monies to which he or she might be entitled. If there be any complaint about such monies it would rightly be directed towards the system or process and not the councillor. However, when one witnesses good deeds it behoves speaking up. Well said and well done by both these councillors and the others who have in mind those who are needier; and have more importantly done something about it.

Frank is right local families are doing it tough. Thats why not taking the money in the first place would have been better in our opinion. But I commend the Labor Councillors on this one, because donating that money back is still better than keeping it. As Frank said whoever or however the donation is made, the charities are the winners here. Good work :)

There seems to be a consensus that people are doing it tough. More toughness lies ahead when people will shortly have to hand over the extra monies for fundamentals like electricity, water and those payments hidden away in the last State Budget. The clock is ticking away in the background and the full effects are not apparent yet. Those who are Keynesians will likely consider that this levying of increased “taxes” in times like those currently existing is a contradiction. For the Monetarists the dilemma is that there is such complexity nowadays that there is difficulty even for the best of intellects in integrating aggregates into economic modelling. Whatever the case, there will be continuing toughness for a while yet unless good luck prevails. The State government continues to lurch from one crisis to another and that is why the mayor needs to focus his full attention on his job of State Member for Cabramatta. What he does with his monies is his business but what he does as the Mayor and State Member is our business.

A very positive move, and one for which the Clrs can be commended (whether direct funds or from personal donations). Zaya and Frank weren't on Council when this was last proposed by then Clr Thang Ngo, but on that occasion at least one former ALP Clr led an outrageous attack on Clr Ngo's integrity, claining it was a "popularity stunt". Thankfully we are seeing more conscience from the current group.