For some months now there has been relative peace and quiet on the WA local government front, but who knows what might happen after the March 2017 State election.
In NSW, however, the Baird Liberal Government continues to make waves with its forced local government amalgamations, some of which are still working their way through the courts. One of these is the forced amalgamation of Orange, Cabonne and Blayney Councils - the area that just happened to be the subject of a by-election last weekend.
The NSW State seat of Orange had been held by the Nationals since 1947, but no more. In what reports attribute to widespread discontent at the forced local government amalgamations and the stuffed-up ban (then non-ban) of greyhound racing, a right wing independent from the Shooters and Fishers Party has taken the seat.
Local Government NSW President Keith Rhoades said: "This massive repudiation of forced amalgamations comes hot on the heels of the September 10 local government elections, where voters of stand-alone councils sent an equally clear ‘back off’ message to the Liberal/National government".
The Nationals are a partner with the Liberals in the NSW Government and the basis of the voter discontent is said to be that the Nationals "had stood by and said nothing as Premier Mike Baird made 'arbitrary and arrogant decisions' without explaining these decisions to the community or consulting them" (http://www.governmentnews.com.au/2016/11/25625).
Does this sound familiar? I'm sure it does to many of those who were part of the community groundswell that eventually overcame Barnett's ideological push for larger councils in WA. Many local members were at best silent or even supported forced amalgamations in opposition to the voices of their communities.
More recently, Subiaco residents were appalled by the lack of support for their community by their local MLA, Bill Marmion, when faced by the dismembering of the City of Subiaco, without consultation, under the City of Perth Act.
These silent MPs, and Bill Marmion in particular, would do well to ponder their perfidy between now and March 2017. Whilst it is probably too much to hope that they might fall on their swords, it would be nice to hear the occasional 'mea culpa' and sincere promise (as distinct from disposable 'election commitment') to consult and listen to their communities in future.
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Monday, October 10, 2016
Democracy Must Be Seen But Not Heard - Let's think outside the box
According to the ABC (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-10/new-local-government-minister-backs-media-gag-on-councillors/7919614), new Local Government Minister Paul Miles has backed the City of Perth's controversial ban on councillors speaking to the media, describing the policy as "democratic".
I guess we shouldn't be surprised coming from the same party (and presumably with the same Departmental advice) as his predecessor's description of the right of local communities to have a binding poll on local government amalgamations as "UNdemocratic" (http://ianrker-vincent.blogspot.com.au/2014/09/a-peculiar-view-of-democracy.html).
Miles also reportedly said that councillors "had nothing to complain about because they knew, or should have known, the council's position when they sought election".
The only possible interpretation of this baffling statement is that councillors cannot lobby for change from within and residents or ratepayers can only do so from without - and somehow have to get a majority of Council to see the light (definitely problematic with most of current City of Perth Council) and change policy without councillors themselves being able to say anything to gain awareness or support through the media.
How can it be democratic, Mr Miles, to place such a Catch-22 in the way of reform?
Thinking outside the box, though, the City of Perth policy doesn't prevent councillors from discussing matters with private individuals - and we all know how adept the media are at eavesdropping on and reporting private conversations. I suggest it would be very difficult (and politically counter-productive) to prove that a councillor knew the media were going to eavesdrop on a particular 'private' conversation.
And, yet again, WALGA appears to be conspicuous by its absence - despite the very real implicit threat that a similar ban could be imposed on all local governments in the name of democracy.
I guess we shouldn't be surprised coming from the same party (and presumably with the same Departmental advice) as his predecessor's description of the right of local communities to have a binding poll on local government amalgamations as "UNdemocratic" (http://ianrker-vincent.blogspot.com.au/2014/09/a-peculiar-view-of-democracy.html).
Miles also reportedly said that councillors "had nothing to complain about because they knew, or should have known, the council's position when they sought election".
The only possible interpretation of this baffling statement is that councillors cannot lobby for change from within and residents or ratepayers can only do so from without - and somehow have to get a majority of Council to see the light (definitely problematic with most of current City of Perth Council) and change policy without councillors themselves being able to say anything to gain awareness or support through the media.
How can it be democratic, Mr Miles, to place such a Catch-22 in the way of reform?
Thinking outside the box, though, the City of Perth policy doesn't prevent councillors from discussing matters with private individuals - and we all know how adept the media are at eavesdropping on and reporting private conversations. I suggest it would be very difficult (and politically counter-productive) to prove that a councillor knew the media were going to eavesdrop on a particular 'private' conversation.
And, yet again, WALGA appears to be conspicuous by its absence - despite the very real implicit threat that a similar ban could be imposed on all local governments in the name of democracy.
Sunday, September 18, 2016
Do Unto Others …………
Minister for Transport and Agriculture, Dean Nalder, has followed Tony Simpson in resigning from Cabinet and former Minister, Helen Morton, has come out in support of them.
There is common thread in these three narratives and that is arrogance, lack of communication and even bullying.
Tony Simpson is reported as saying he was kept in the dark by the Premier’s Office and had to “second guess” Colin Barnett’s policy positions by listening to talkback radio. There were numerous examples of this lack of communication during the local government so-called reform fiasco, including when Col unilaterally ran up the white flag despite being defeated on only three of the proposals.
Dean Nalder is reported as saying "Colin is making irrational decisions without consultation with respect to Ministers". He instanced Perth Freight Link, the sealing of the Cape Leveque Road and the announcement of new Boyanup sale yards, all matters within his portfolios, as cases where the Premier directed him without discussion or made announcements without even informing him.
Former Minister, Helen Morton, is even more forthright. According to the ABC's Jessica Strutt, Helen Morton has accused staff in the Premier's office of running a "machine" of bullying, intimidation and threats of ministers. Morton says both Tony Simpson and Dean Nalder, who have quit Cabinet, have been victims of it. She also saw it when she was a minister.
Clearly, Col cannot continue as leader of the WA Liberals (and hence as Premier), without the confidence of key Liberal MPs or of the community, but it is not clear who might replace him. This itself is a direct consequence of Col's arrogance and bullying.
For me, I can't see anyone currently in the Parliamentary Liberal Party who has the qualities necessary to be an effective Premier. After the March 2017 election, the Liberals' talent pool will be considerably smaller.
Meanwhile, head-in-the-sand Mount Lawley MLA, Michael Sutherland (in whose electorate I now unfortunately reside after the recent boundary changes) said there is no leadership crisis, despite the current leader being so on the nose (Crisis 1) and the total lack of competent alternative leaders in the Parliamentary Liberal Party (Crisis 2).
The manner of Simpson and Nalder making their announcements suggests that their frustration has driven them to "do unto Col as he has done unto them". I can only hope that whoever is Liberal leader after the next few days (even if it is still Col) learns the pragmatic lesson of 'do unto others as you would have them do unto you'.
Saturday, September 17, 2016
Minister Simpson Resigns - No Confidence in Barnett
I've been away from this blog for several months, largely due to illness, but I couldn't let Local Government Minister, Tony Simpson's, resignation from Cabinet, on the grounds that he no longer had confidence in Premier Colin Barnett's leadership, pass without comment.
Readers of this blog (and the more recent one dealing with the City of Perth Act) will know that I have been very critical of Simpson in his role as Local Government Minister.
In retrospect, however, it is unclear how much of the local government so-called reform (aka forced amalgamation) fiasco was Simpson being malicious and how much his simply being unable to stand up to Barnett. Certainly the fatuous and false 'economies of scale' argument came from Col's half-baked economics - I commented more than once that he must have attended the lecture on economies of scale but skipped the next one on diseconomies of scale.
Simpson was often the scapegoat for Col's ignorance and intransigence.
Even so, Simpson cannot be held blameless, as he should have stood up to Col - that was the time to resign - but, in fairness, he was too new a minister for resignation to have had much effect.
Simpson has performed much better and more consistently in his other portfolios of Community Services, Seniors and Volunteering, and Youth, but these are not high profile ones and he has got little public recognition from them.
Col's predictable and rather puerile response was that Simpson's resignation provided an opportunity for someone else to be a Minister - as if the Government benches in Parliament were brimming with talent. Whoever gets the gig, we can only hope that their tenure will be short-lived.
Readers of this blog (and the more recent one dealing with the City of Perth Act) will know that I have been very critical of Simpson in his role as Local Government Minister.
In retrospect, however, it is unclear how much of the local government so-called reform (aka forced amalgamation) fiasco was Simpson being malicious and how much his simply being unable to stand up to Barnett. Certainly the fatuous and false 'economies of scale' argument came from Col's half-baked economics - I commented more than once that he must have attended the lecture on economies of scale but skipped the next one on diseconomies of scale.
Simpson was often the scapegoat for Col's ignorance and intransigence.
Even so, Simpson cannot be held blameless, as he should have stood up to Col - that was the time to resign - but, in fairness, he was too new a minister for resignation to have had much effect.
Simpson has performed much better and more consistently in his other portfolios of Community Services, Seniors and Volunteering, and Youth, but these are not high profile ones and he has got little public recognition from them.
Col's predictable and rather puerile response was that Simpson's resignation provided an opportunity for someone else to be a Minister - as if the Government benches in Parliament were brimming with talent. Whoever gets the gig, we can only hope that their tenure will be short-lived.
Saturday, April 2, 2016
$108 Million - But NO Disability Access!
Twenty-four years after the passage of the Disability Discrimination Act - and people with disabilities still have to put up with crap like this.
For more detail have a look at http://gimpled.blogspot.com.au/2016/04/petition-108-million-dollar.html.
"The City of Perth, who approved the reburbishment that was carried out by luxury hotel chain the COMO group, disbanded their Access Advisory Committee two years ago. A disability advocate says that it just ‘fell apart’ after a change of staff and through ‘lack of interest’, despite opposition from the disability community."
City of Vincent also no longer has a Disability Access (later Universal Access) Advisory Group.
Now it's true that the ultimate aim should be for such groups no longer to be necessary, but they should only cease to be when the whole organisation has internalised the concept of universal access.
For more detail have a look at http://gimpled.blogspot.com.au/2016/04/petition-108-million-dollar.html.
"The City of Perth, who approved the reburbishment that was carried out by luxury hotel chain the COMO group, disbanded their Access Advisory Committee two years ago. A disability advocate says that it just ‘fell apart’ after a change of staff and through ‘lack of interest’, despite opposition from the disability community."
City of Vincent also no longer has a Disability Access (later Universal Access) Advisory Group.
Now it's true that the ultimate aim should be for such groups no longer to be necessary, but they should only cease to be when the whole organisation has internalised the concept of universal access.
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
DAPs To Start Feeling The Heat
Further to the previous post on the South Perth successful court action on DAPs (http://ianrker-vincent.blogspot.com.au/2016/02/david-slays-goliath-again.html), Vincent Mayor John Carey is moving a motion at tonight's briefing meeting that Council work actively to reign in the DAPs. Tonight's meeting is a briefing and the actual decision will be made next Tuesday (8th March). You can address either tonight's briefing or the Council Meeting on 8th March.
Councillor Elizabeth Re, City of Stirling, has emailed the dapaffectedcommunities group to say:
Councillor Elizabeth Re, City of Stirling, has emailed the dapaffectedcommunities group to say:
I am sorry I cannot attend the Tuesday council meeting tonight at the Town of Vincent as I will be attending the City of Stirling meeting whereby I have put forward a similar notice of motion to stop the DAP’s at the City of Stirling council meeting tonight.
The more Councils formalise their opposition to the DAPs (or at least the way they currently over-ride local communities and planning schemes), the more likely action to reign them is - especially with the next state election being just 12 months away. So lobby your own Council, if you can, to pass similar resolutions and make the DAPs a central issue in the next state election.
Remember, the DAP debacle comes on top of failed forced local government reform, reneging on MAX light rail, the contentious Perth Freight Link, failures of hospital programs and out-of-control state debt.
Thursday, February 25, 2016
David Slays Goliath - Again
South Perth residents have succeeded in blocking a 29-storey tower approved by the Development Assessment Panel.
Alannah MacTiernan, former WA Minister for Planning and Infrastructure, supports the DAP system, as a means of balancing strategic and local interests, but she acknowledges that the DAPs have severe problems
Time for the DAPs to be reigned in. They have become a law unto themselves, ignoring local town planning schemes and local communities in favour of development interests.
Alannah MacTiernan, former WA Minister for Planning and Infrastructure, supports the DAP system, as a means of balancing strategic and local interests, but she acknowledges that the DAPs have severe problems
Time for the DAPs to be reigned in. They have become a law unto themselves, ignoring local town planning schemes and local communities in favour of development interests.
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| The West Australian, 25 February 2016 |
Friday, January 22, 2016
Responsibility Of Ownership Lost On Lisa, It Seems
In yet another apparent demonstration of the need for mandatory elected member education,Perth Lord Mayor, Lisa Scaffidi, apparently doesn't see any link between property ownership and responsibility to the community.
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| Perth Voice, 23rd January 2016 |
Thursday, December 17, 2015
Roe 8 Decision Highlights Deeper Malaise
No doubt many words will be written and spoken (and cartoons drawn), and rightly so, about the Supreme Court decision invalidating the environmental approvals for the contentious Roe 8 highway project across the Beeliar wetlands.
For those who want to find out more, the judgment can be downloaded from http://decisions.justice.wa.gov.au/supreme/supdcsn.nsf/judgment.xsp?documentId=4DC12FEF66845A8248257F1D00095F93&action=openDocument&SessionID=EA3F2IOG9F.
The Editor of the West Australian is increasingly isolated in supporting Roe 8 and the broader Perth Freight Link, which flies in the face of decades of bipartisan freight planning for Perth and WA - and was cobbled together only to 'replace' MAX light rail funding when then-PM Tony Abbott said the federal government would only help fund road infrastructure, not public transport.
In finding that the Environmental Protection Authority ignored its own policies, Chief Justice Wayne Martin highlights the politicisation, incompetence or worse that has infected too many important decisions of public service and so-called independent agencies. Even now, Barnett's response is that Roe 8 will go ahead because he'll find a way around the Supreme Court's judgment.
There is another court case in progress that highlights precisely the same issue - this one about the Development Assessment Panels (DAPs) ignoring the requirement to have regard to local Town Planning Schemes. Wayne Martin's judgment will give great heart the many who are aghast at the DAPs' riding roughshod over long-standing community expectations that have been enshrined in their local town planning schemes, which have the status of law under the Planning and Development Act, 2005.
Why is it that we can no longer trust our governments or agencies that supposedly represent our interests to do so impartially, intelligently and with integrity? Why do we have to resort to the courts to ensure that they do the jobs they were elected (no mention of the PFL in the 2013 WA election) or employed to do?
For those who want to find out more, the judgment can be downloaded from http://decisions.justice.wa.gov.au/supreme/supdcsn.nsf/judgment.xsp?documentId=4DC12FEF66845A8248257F1D00095F93&action=openDocument&SessionID=EA3F2IOG9F.
The Editor of the West Australian is increasingly isolated in supporting Roe 8 and the broader Perth Freight Link, which flies in the face of decades of bipartisan freight planning for Perth and WA - and was cobbled together only to 'replace' MAX light rail funding when then-PM Tony Abbott said the federal government would only help fund road infrastructure, not public transport.
In finding that the Environmental Protection Authority ignored its own policies, Chief Justice Wayne Martin highlights the politicisation, incompetence or worse that has infected too many important decisions of public service and so-called independent agencies. Even now, Barnett's response is that Roe 8 will go ahead because he'll find a way around the Supreme Court's judgment.
There is another court case in progress that highlights precisely the same issue - this one about the Development Assessment Panels (DAPs) ignoring the requirement to have regard to local Town Planning Schemes. Wayne Martin's judgment will give great heart the many who are aghast at the DAPs' riding roughshod over long-standing community expectations that have been enshrined in their local town planning schemes, which have the status of law under the Planning and Development Act, 2005.
Why is it that we can no longer trust our governments or agencies that supposedly represent our interests to do so impartially, intelligently and with integrity? Why do we have to resort to the courts to ensure that they do the jobs they were elected (no mention of the PFL in the 2013 WA election) or employed to do?
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Voters Don't Like Broken Promises
I've written a number of times about the way in which the New South Wales government is repeating the mistakes of the WA government in trying to force amalgamations, but now there's a lesson that the WA government should heed from NSW.
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| http://www.governmentnews.com.au/2015/12/council-mergers-blamed-for-13-by-election-backlash-in-nsw-coalition-heartland/ |
Monday, November 23, 2015
Lies and Fallacies - In NSW This Time
I often don't agree with the reported views of NSW radio presenter Alan Jones, but on local government forced amalgamations he is spot on.
I've just watched the video of his address to the rally in Sydney with a total sense of deja vu (not to mention vindication) as he was saying all the same things we said here in WA in our successful community-based campaign against forced local government amalgamations - including lies ('no forced amalgamations' before the election) and fallacious arguments ('economies of scale').
I've just watched the video of his address to the rally in Sydney with a total sense of deja vu (not to mention vindication) as he was saying all the same things we said here in WA in our successful community-based campaign against forced local government amalgamations - including lies ('no forced amalgamations' before the election) and fallacious arguments ('economies of scale').
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Another one bites the dust - but will Simpson keep him on?
I don't know whether Mel Congerton was a good councillor for City of Swan, but he certainly compromised the independence of the Local Government Advisory Board in the local government so-called reform process.
The question is whether Local Government Minister, Tony Simpson, will keep him as Chair of the LGAB now that he has been defeated by the now-youngest councillor in the Metropolitan area. Under the Local Government Act, the Minister's nomination to the LGAB, who is required to be the Chair of the board, is not required to be an elected member of a local government.
And will WALGA have a view on this?
The question is whether Local Government Minister, Tony Simpson, will keep him as Chair of the LGAB now that he has been defeated by the now-youngest councillor in the Metropolitan area. Under the Local Government Act, the Minister's nomination to the LGAB, who is required to be the Chair of the board, is not required to be an elected member of a local government.
And will WALGA have a view on this?
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| https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/wa/a/29853911/younger-faces-take-places-on-councils |
Totally predictable - but real culprit is NSW state government
Essentially same story as in WA - but equally flawed.
So-called independent report - but conclusions inevitable given years of rate-capping and cost-shifting by NSW state governments.
So-called independent report - but conclusions inevitable given years of rate-capping and cost-shifting by NSW state governments.
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| http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-20/most-nsw-councils-not-fit-for-future-ipart-finds/6868348 |
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
First Brick Falls Out of the City of Perth Wall
Local Government Minister, Tony Simpson, acts to prevent Lord Mayor guilty of misconduct from judging others accused of misconduct. No-brainer, but good to see.
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| http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-13/perth-lord-mayor-removed-from-local-government-standards-panel/6851386 |
Is Time Running Out for Out-Of-Touch Perth City Council?
It's getting increasingly difficult to see how the City of Perth Council can emerge unscathed and functioning after these revelations.
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| http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-12/review-of-perth-city-council-may-be-needed-minister/6847238 |
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| https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/wa/a/29788660/state-government-to-review-perth-city-council |
As in WA, so in NSW - and so the sorry saga continues
Needs no commentary from me (at least for those in WA who have already been through this - and won, thanks to people power).
A few quotes suffice to show that state government try the same tricks wherever you are.
NSW councils have long argued that rate-pegging, cost-shifting and freezing the indexation of Financial Assistance Grants have constrained their revenues, while simultaneously slugging them with bigger bills for infrastructure and services.
He said that the state government had not provided good evidence mergers would benefit councils financially, apart from promising access to cheaper loans, which would still need to be repaid.
The Minister is being incredibly duplicitous: using a longstanding funding problem as cover for an ideologically-driven move to increase control over local communities and neighbourhoods.
And it isn't even in the interests of the party of Government:
State Premier Mike Baird’s amalgamation drive is causing all sorts of problems for Liberal MPs, who fear a backlash from the branches that elected them and from the general public.
A few quotes suffice to show that state government try the same tricks wherever you are.
NSW councils have long argued that rate-pegging, cost-shifting and freezing the indexation of Financial Assistance Grants have constrained their revenues, while simultaneously slugging them with bigger bills for infrastructure and services.
He said that the state government had not provided good evidence mergers would benefit councils financially, apart from promising access to cheaper loans, which would still need to be repaid.
The Minister is being incredibly duplicitous: using a longstanding funding problem as cover for an ideologically-driven move to increase control over local communities and neighbourhoods.
And it isn't even in the interests of the party of Government:
State Premier Mike Baird’s amalgamation drive is causing all sorts of problems for Liberal MPs, who fear a backlash from the branches that elected them and from the general public.
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| http://www.governmentnews.com.au/2015/10/council-peak-body-gives-nsw-government-minister-a-serve |
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Transparency and Integrity in City of Perth
Reece Harley either knew something was in the wind - or he should go out and buy a lottery ticket, for his decision to campaign on transparency and integrity is paying-off big-time - particularly now Deputy Lord Mayor, Rob Butler, has been caught in the non-disclosure net (http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/deputy-lord-mayor-of-perth-rob-butler-fails-to-declare-trip-to-malaysia/news-story/c40b9303dff3c2fbe9e9c612fb54e4d8) and the other seven City of Perth councillors (other than Reece Harley) have publicly fallen in behind the Lord Mayor who is under a personal cloud.
And for those who missed it on Thursday, here (at foot of this post) is Daniel Emerson's forensic analysis of the issue and the Lord Mayor's responses to the Crime and Corruption Commission's findings.
And for those who missed it on Thursday, here (at foot of this post) is Daniel Emerson's forensic analysis of the issue and the Lord Mayor's responses to the Crime and Corruption Commission's findings.
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| http://www.reeceharleyforperth.com.au/media. Click to enlarge. |
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| https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/29756163/scaffidi-wins-obfuscation-gold |
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Strange Day - Now I Agree With Simpson
Regular and long-time readers of this blog will be aware that I have a long-running and fundamental difference of view with both Premier Colin Barnett and Local Government Minister, Tony Simpson, on local government matters. So it is with some trepidation that I follow my agreement earlier today with Col (http://ianrker-vincent.blogspot.com.au/2015/10/i-agree-with-col-pity-col-doesnt.html) with an agreement with Tony Simpson.
According to the ABC (below):
Local Government Minister Tony Simpson stopped short of saying Ms Scaffidi should resign, but said a member of Cabinet who acted in the same way would be sacked.
The ABC also reported that:
Mr Simpson flagged changes to annual returns in the local government sector including that they be lodged more frequently and be made more accessible to the public.
I agree, but it is only a couple of months since local governments refused to take an opportunity to support doing just that (http://ianrker-vincent.blogspot.com.au/2015/08/rocks-in-their-heads.html), so local councils will now be on the back foot and the Minister has the high moral ground.
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| http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-07/lord-mayor-scaffidi-unable-to-release-in-information-defence/6833886 |
I Agree With Col. Pity Col Doesn't!
Paul Murray thinks that the CCC findings about Lisa Scaffidi are nothing more than a technicality. Premier Colin Barnett says her actions represented "a poor decision exacerbated by the failure to disclose it".
For once, I agree with Col - the CCC findings are of significant concern in terms of the integrity of government (http://ianrker-vincent.blogspot.com.au/2015/10/transparency-anyone.html).
But there's a certain cognitive dissonance in Colin Barnett's response to the CCC findings
But this should be equally so at all levels of government. Indeed, Barnett himself reported said that "if one of his ministers had behaved in this way he would probably look at resignation"
It is not good enough for him to criticise Lisa Scaffidi (local government) and Bronwyn Bishop (federal government) by evoking the 'pub test'. He must apply the same criterion to his own government - and Dean Nalder in particular.
For once, I agree with Col - the CCC findings are of significant concern in terms of the integrity of government (http://ianrker-vincent.blogspot.com.au/2015/10/transparency-anyone.html).
But there's a certain cognitive dissonance in Colin Barnett's response to the CCC findings
But this should be equally so at all levels of government. Indeed, Barnett himself reported said that "if one of his ministers had behaved in this way he would probably look at resignation"
It is not good enough for him to criticise Lisa Scaffidi (local government) and Bronwyn Bishop (federal government) by evoking the 'pub test'. He must apply the same criterion to his own government - and Dean Nalder in particular.
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| West Australian, 7th October 2015. Click to enlarge. |
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| West Australian, 7th October 2015. Click to enlarge. |
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).
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).
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| West Australian, 6th October, 2015 |
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