Conflicts of Interest?

If the Local Government Advisory Board were a local government, members would have to declare an interest and not participate in debate or voting on proposals affecting or raised by their specific local governments or by their employer. I am hoping this is the case for the LGAB as well.

This could lead to some interesting shuffling of seats. In some instances, they might not even have a quorum.

In drawing attention to this, I am not in any way implying any lack of integrity in any of the members of the LGAB. I am merely drawing attention to clear conflicts of interest and expressing the hope that these will be dealt with in the same open and transparent way as is required of local governments themselves.

The LGAB Chairman, Cr Mel Congerton, is a Councillor for the City of Swan - and should, therefore, not participate in debate or voting on the following proposals:

1	Shire of Mundaring
2	City of Swan and Town of Bassendean
6	City of Bayswater
8	City of Belmont
15	Shire of Kalamunda
03/2013	Minister for Local Government - Bayswater/Bassendean
04/2013	Minister for Local Government - Swan/Mundaring
05/2013	Minister for Local Government - Belmont/Kalamunda

The two LGAB members from the Department of Local Government and Communities should not participate in debate or vote on any of the proposals from the Minister for Local Government, to whom they are ultimately responsible, nor on any of the alternative proposals addressing all or part of the same local governments. DLGC staff do not normally have a conflict of interest, as proposals have come from local governments rather than from the Minister, but this situation is clearly exceptional.

Mayor Ron Yurevich and his deputy, Cr Karen Chapple, are from non-metropolitan local governments so have no apparent conflicts of interest.

Cr Helen Dullard is the President of the Shire of Mundaring - and should not participate in debate or vote on the following proposals:

1	Shire of Mundaring
2	City of Swan and Town of Bassendean
04/2013	Minister for Local Government - Swan/Mundaring

Cr Dullard's deputy, Cr Richard Smith, is Deputy Mayor of the City of Rockingham - and should not participate in debate nor vote on the following proposal:

21	Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale

Dr Shayne Silcox is CEO of the City of Melville and takes the prize for the most conflicts of interest (other than the DLGC representatives) - and should not participate in debate nor vote on the following proposals:

7	City of Canning
9	City of Melville (1)
10	City of Melville (2)
12	City of Fremantle
18	City of Gosnells
07/2013	Minister for Local Government - Canning/Gosnells
08/2013	Minister for Local Government - Melville
09/2013	Minister for Local Government - Fremantle/East Fremantle
10/2013	Minister for Local Government - Cockburn/Kwinana
E1	Cockburn Community Steering Committee

Shayne Silcox's deputy, Mark Chester, is CEO of the Shire of Dardanup and has no apparent conflicts of interest.