This is the personal blog of Ian Ker, who was Councillor for the South Ward of the Town of Vincent from 1995 to 2009. I have been a resident of this area since 1985. This blog was originally conceived as a way of letting residents of Vincent know what I have been doing and sharing thoughts on important issues. I can now use it to sound off about things that concern me.

If you want to contact me, my e-mail is still ian_ker@hotmail.com or post a comment on this blog.

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Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Transparency, Anyone?

The City of Vincent Mayor, John Carey, has been subject to criticism for his calls for greater transparency in local government, including the suggestion of publicly-available registers of contacts with developers (see http://ianrker-vincent.blogspot.com.au/2015/08/rocks-in-their-heads.html).

 How delightfully ironic (not to mention illuminating), therefore, to see a letter from City of Perth Councillor, James Limnios, criticising Lord Mayoral candidate, Reece Harley, for emphasising the importance of transparency, on the same day as the Crime and Corruption Commission makes serious adverse findings against current Lord Mayor, Lisa Scaffidi.  (https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/wa/a/29723044/lisa-scaffidi-failed-to-declare-gifts-travel-ccc; http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-06/perth-mayors-beijing-olympics-trip-with-bhp-unwise-barnett-says/6830684; http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/perth-lord-mayor-lisa-scaffidi-signally-failed-in-duties-corruption-and-crime-commission/story-fnhocxo3-1227557825976?sv=db7d3f447044c1010f885e64ef91dd9e&utm_source=Perth%20Now&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=editorial).

 Councillor Limnios apparently considers that 'minor individual councillor expenses' are 'frivolous matters'. He obviously fails to see the intrinsic relationship between honesty and integrity in small matters and in large ones. 

 Lord Mayor, Lisa Scaffidi, meanwhile, evokes a distinct sense of deja entendu in blaming inexperience and the advice of officials ("I was a brand new Lord Mayor and I was entitled to rely on the guidance offered by people far more experienced than me in terms of governance" - https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/wa/a/29725980/premier-weighs-into-scaffidi-scandal) - conveniently ignoring the fact that she had been a City of Perth Councillor for two terms prior to that.

She also appears to claim the Bronwyn Bishop defence that if found out it is sufficient to apologise. I doubt that any legal system acknowledges that as a valid defence. Bronwyn did, to her credit, repay the money (albeit reluctantly).

 Even Premier, Colin Barnett, reportedly has said that "if one of his ministers had behaved in this way he would probably look at resignation"(https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/wa/a/29725980/lord-mayor-digs-in-over-ccc-findings).
West Australian, 6th October, 2015
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