More Cracks - and not just in the Façade

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The Labor motion opposing forced local government amalgamations, introduced into the Legislative Council last week, has been passed - without a formal vote, as the Government didn't want the embarrassment of a formal defeat in Parliament.

I congratulate those MLCs, National and Liberal as well as Labor, who stood up for democracy and good government to ensure the passage of this motion, introduced by the Hon Ken Travers, MLC, which read:

That this house —
(a) expresses its view that the Local Government Act 1995 never contemplated the use of boundary changes to amalgamate local governments;
(b) believes that the correct approach under the act is to abolish existing local governments and to create new local governments as this ensures that local communities are given a voice as intended by the Dadour provisions of the act;
(c) is of the view that any attempt to force local government amalgamations by using boundary changes to circumvent the intent of the Dadour provisions is an abuse of the act; and
(d) therefore calls on the government to ensure that any proposals for amalgamation of existing local governments involve the abolition of all affected councils and the creation of new councils.

I'm not holding my breath for Barnett and Simpson to see the writing on the wall, though, let alone being able to read and understand it.