A CONTROVERSIAL email sent by councillor John Cumming has sparked outrage, with claims that he has insulted welfare agencies and described public housing as a “burden on the community”.

Cr Cumming, who is a member of the Labor Party, also refers in the email to public housing tenants as socially dysfunctional people “with drug addictions and criminal records”.

On 13 October, former West Footscray resident Peter Oataway forwarded an email of support he sent to the Western Bulldogs about the proposed public housing development at Whitten Oval to councillors, CEO Kerry Thompson and various media.

“Maybe the Maribyrnong Council is a little bit scared that if homeless people around the western suburbs are housed in a development like this, they might get on the electoral roll and vote against the current councillors who from what I can see wish them to continue to be homeless,” Mr Oataway wrote.

In a reply sent on 15 October, Cr John Cumming wrote that the proposed development was an example of the West being used “as a social experiment/dumping ground without any public consultation or evaluation of the negative social impacts created”.

“Next time you come to Footscray, I could introduce you to some of the hapless recipients of our government (sic) ill placed generosity,” Cr Cumming wrote.

“Then a tour of the welfare agencies who benefit from the misery they contribute too (sic), and are over funded to manage … After all they are paid to care!”

Mayor Michael Clarke and councillor Sarah Carter were CC’d in the email, along with the start of another council email address.

Cr Cumming did not return Star’s calls last week.

An outraged Mr Oataway said Cr Cumming needed a reality check. “Does he realise they (the homeless) need a roof over their head regardless?” Mr Oataway asked.

“How does having them living rough on the streets of Footscray help their cause or the Maribyrnong City Council’s cause?

“The thing in Hay is no-one is living on the street. If the 100 turned up in Hay, they would be housed with a roof over their head. They would not be roaming around the streets sleeping rough like I presume they are in Footscray.”

Prominent youth worker Les Twentyman accused Cr Cumming last week of “shooting the victim” and branded his comments about welfare agencies outrageous.

“The western suburbs have been fighting a welfare and social tsunami for a couple of decades now and we don’t get the dollars to give these people some sort of chance to be able to climb out of their misery and their poverty.

“It sickens me that a so-called leader of the community and a councillor is making such comments about the citizens,” he said.

“You’ve got to look at the factors of homelessness. It’s unemployment, it’s fractured education, mental health is a very big part of it. Let’s not start shooting the victim.

Mr Twentyman has been a street outreach worker for the past 25 years.