Junkets Away: Councillors Overseas Travel

Five months late the City of Melbourne has finally published it's Overseas and Interstate Travel costs for the term of the previous Council (Dec-2008 to Nov-2012)

Topping the bill of the most travelled Councillors is the Lord Mayor Robert Doyle

Interstate and Overseas Travel - Total

Councillor	Cost
Robert Doyle	$55,254.80
Peter Clarke	$50,736.55
Susan Riley	$27,084.08
Brian Shanahan	$25,010.37
Kevin Louey	$22,715.35
Cathy Oke	$15,917.67
Ken Ong	$12,829.19
Carl Jetter	$3,956.08
Rob Adams	$2,670.60
Jennifer Kanis	$40.27

Shanahan absent due to poor health

Melbourne City Councillor Brian Shanahan is undergoing treatment for cancer and has applied for an absence of leave from the Council.

Whilst we wish Cr. Shanahan all the best at this time we must ask the question should his prolonged absence and state of health impact on the operations of the City Council and should he not in the interest of the Council and representative democracy resign?

The City of Melbourne Council has less than 10 months left to serve before going to the polls in November 2012.

This is a decision that Cr. Shanahan should consider now rather then later. If he is unable to fulfill his term of office then he should step aside and allow his position to be filled by someone else.

Should Shanahan resign his position would most likely be filled by Connie Pagliantani (Number two on Cr Shanahan's ticket). No doubts there are some in the Council Administration that do not want to see Ms Pagliantani elected to office.

Mean while the City Council continued to hold meetings behind closed doors contrary to the Local Government Act, It appear that the Council has formalised these illegal "Council Forum" gatherings, the public is denied access or oversight. Minutes are not tabled and decisions of the forum are made under officer delegation. The elected Council p[lays such a low role in the affairs of the Council the Council Web site has them as an aside below the administration. Not one word by the elected representatives, who have forgotten the meaning of open transparent governance. I guess if Cr Shanahan does not step aside tit will not matter anyway. no one will notice his absence.

New Clowns Selected for new season performance

Melbourne City Council has elected the best of the best - new Clowns and some of our favorite clowns returned to office

Starring:

Leadership Team
Lord Mayor Robert Doyle (2008-)
Deputy Lord Mayor Susan Riley (2001-2004, 2008-


Councillors:
Peter Clarke (2004-)
Carl Jetter (2004-)
Jennifer Kanis (2008-)
Kevin Louey (2008)
Cathy Oke (2008-)
Ken Ong (2008-)
Brian Shanahan (2004-)

Cock's Tender Up as Cull begins John So under pressure to make ends meet

Melbourne City Council begins to implement some of the recommendation contained in the $300,000 efficiency report as the Council begins to prune the bush and cut back on John So uncontrolled expenditure.

If anything John So has demonstrated that he has no idea of strategic investment. Wasted investments such as the Tourist Bus and lighting the Tan are just two examples of how out of touch with reality John So is from the day to day management of the Council.

John So last week faced a no-confidence motion amidst claims that he was a hands-off, removed from the coal-face, Lord Mayor.

This is one of the main problems identified with the populist direct election models. If Melbourne was sincere about good governance then it would scrape the hybrid direct election model, expand the city boundaries and the size of the elected City Council. The Lord Mayor, or at least the chairman of the Council, should be apointed from and by the elected Councillors.

There still is a long way to go and more cut backs can be expected. Still unknown is the extent of redundancy and breach of contract payouts the Council has to fork out. Again pointing to further stuff-ups and blow-outs in the City Council's Finance.

Finance Committee Chairperson Brian Shanahan has been the one that has had to take the flack and the task of doing all the hard work. Last week Shanahan voted no-confidence in John So as the Council's leader. Shanahan also voted against the Council's budget. Shanahan now needs to consider whether he will continue to prop up John So and remain his silent puppet or resign from being Chairman of the Council's the Finance Committee.


Senior executives to go in council cull
Clay Lucas, The Age May 30, 2007


Melbourne City Council could cut up to 100 staff in a second round of redundancies, a report reveals.

The council is expected to save $1.5 million by sacking 26 people, including several senior executives, in the first round of redundancies, announced earlier today.

It would save a further $5.7 million in redundancies in the second round, the report says.

In the first round of redundancies, the Council will sack several senior executives, including its controversial spin doctor.

The council is set to reveal 26 redundancies as part of its biggest shake-up in 14 years, theage.com.au understands, with up to 100 more to go in the coming months.

Two directors, 10 executives and 14 staff are among those expected to be made redundant today.

Corporate affairs director Hayden Cock, whose package is worth $220,000, is believed to be among those to be made redundant.

Chief executive David Pitchford notified each of the 26 staff this morning.

The move follows the completion last month of a $300,000 report by consultants Ernst & Young on how the council could cut costs.

The report found a massive blowout in labour costs at the council, huge problems with its parking officers, a blowout in executives at the council on more than $100,000, and an explosion of spending on marketing.

Lord Mayor John So, who did not return calls, will come under immense pressure now the confidential report is public.

The report's highly critical findings have found many problems at the council have emerged since 2002 - the year after Councillor So became Lord Mayor.

Other related coverage Links from the Age
Mayor survives attacks, but loses Dalai Lama fight
Big-spending mayor goes for broke
Rare revolt on budget as So confirms job cuts ahead
Budget blow-out a 'turn on' for media man So

Flying the Flag of Contempt City Council attacks Melbourne's pride in its Irish Community

Flying the flag of discontent. Irish Times told to take down its flag as concern is raised about Councillor Brain Shanahan possible conflict of interest .

The Age April 6, 2006


The pub which has proudly flown the Irish flag for years has been ordered to lower its republican standard, not by agents of perfidious Albion, as a rebel ballad might have it, but by Melbourne City Council's planning department.

In a letter to The Irish Times' managing director, Derek Mulvihill, the council ordered that the tricolour be removed or the pub would face a $1000-plus fine.

Under the provisions of the Melbourne planning scheme only the Australian flag is permitted to be displayed without a planning permit," the letter said.

Will the City Council require the American Embassy to remove the flag outside their consulate?

Australia has a proud tradition and its culture and and heritage predominately comes from its Irish and Scottish communities (For the record I am from Dutch, Irish and Scottish background but this should not color my belief that we should embrace our multicultural community )

The Irish Times is an Irish pub after all and surely they should be able to proudly display the Irish flag without harassment or fine from the City Council.

Has the City Council been over selective in its imposition on the Irish Times. Could Brain Shannahan have a direct conflict of interest in this matter? And what of other establishments that fly corporate and other country flags.

Mr Mulvihill said: "We were amazed to be told after five years of flying our Irish flag without incident that we had to remove it and that it needed a permit.

"It seems remarkable that, in a city that has just celebrated its multiculturalism with the Commonwealth Games, flying the flag of the small island that has contributed so much to Australia's rich heritage is unlawful."

What was more disappointing, he said, was the council's advice that even if the pub were to apply for planning permission for the flag, "the application would not be entertained".

"It came as a surprise to us to learn that it is OK to fly the Australian flag but not the Eureka flag, the Aboriginal flag or any other flag," he said.

The council acted after a complaint. Brian is this fair?

Democracy dead and buried Melbourne City Council censorship on public submissions seeking disclosure of Councilor's expenses

Open and Transparent Governance in Melbourne is non-existent with the City Council going to extraordinary steps to avoid accountability and responsibility.

The City Council has now embarked on an act of censorship by refusing to publish reports and public submissions that are critical of the Council's administration and governance.

The City of Melbourne administration with the consent of Cr Brian Shanahan, Chairman of the Council's Finance and Corporate Performance Committee, failed to publish a submission presented to the Council concerning Council expenses and correspondence criticising the Council's recently published transport policy.

The Melbourne City Council has abandoned its duty and responsibility to maintain an open and transparent system of governance.

First there was the decision of Council moved by Greens Councillor Fraser Bindley to deny public access to documents outlining the cost of inbound missions (hosting of overseas visitors) by referring a report to be considered by the Council behind closed doors at a secret meeting, now the City of Melbourne goes one step further by imposing censorship on public submissions.

This unjustified act of censorship is outrageous and corrupt.

Council clearly do not want to be held accountable and are now prepared to go to the extraordinary efforts of censorship to avoid disclosure of their expenses and criticism of the Council's administration.

Council has a duty and obligation to consider these issues

The report and submission to Council made a number of recommendations including a request that information on the costs of the Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayors Limousines be included in the Councillor's expense statements . Currently these costs are excluded from the Councillors expense statements which are false and misleading, the public have a right to know the full extent of costs and subsidies paid to Councillors.

The City Council and chairman have closed ranks and have demonstrated their continuing abuse of process and administration.

The submission was listed for discussion on the Council's agenda but the Council failed to publish the content of the submission or consider in detail the recommendations. (copy available here). The report was a follow up and response to information disclosed following the publication of the council's Travel Register outlining cost associated with Councils overseas and interstate Travel.

Normally all reports and submissions to be considered by the Council are published with the Council's agenda and made available to the public but on this occasion the Council refused to publish the associated documents or make them available at the public meeting held yesterday.

"A lack of openness, transparency, information and insufficient accountability creates the conditions in which corruption flourishes"

No explanation provided.

A letter requesting an explanation and the reasons for Council's failure to publish the documents listed on the agenda was forwarded to Cr Shanahan last Friday.

Council on Tuesday noted the report, which was not made available to the public, the council also failed to consider in detail the recommendations and issues raised. There are serious issues that continue to go unaddressed. Council administration, who were the subject of criticism in the report, falsely claimed that the report was defamatory.

Clearly the Council has something to hide and does not want the public to know

Council replies but provides no answers Why is Council footing the bill for the executive governance expenses of a third party orgainisation?

City of Melbourne replies to concerns related to costs associated with Cr Brindley's overseas Travel.

We received a half backed response from Cr Brian Shannahan, Chairman of the Council Finance Committee, re: Council Brindley's executive membership of a third party organisation and his proposed African Safari/Conference to our previous correspondence. (Addditional post)


Cr Shanahan's reply failed to outline or provide an explanation as to why the Council is paying for the costs of Cr Brindley's executive membership of a third party organisation and under what provision of the Local Government the Council?

Cr Brindley was appointed to the executive of ICLEI (An international environment talk fest organisation) last year following the Melbourne's City Council's agreemeent to pay the cost associated with Fraser's Brindley membership which includes numerous overseas trip to attend executive meetings. (The African trip is budegeted to cost $9,000.00 for a five day Safari - thats just over a third of a Councillor's annual allowance)

It is one thing to be a member of this organisation attending the odd conference/junket but another for the Council to pay the "out-of-pocket cost" associated with the executive expenses of a third party organisation.


Surely ICLEI's executive expenses should be met by ICLEI and not the City of Melbourne. After all they are responsible for their own governance not Melbourne.


The City of Melbourne can find any excuse to pay any expense related to "fact finding tours" and the like if you take such a broad definition of a Councillor's duties. In our view the executive expenses of ICLEI do not fall under the provision of section 75 of the Local Government Act as they are not directly related to the role or duties of a Councillor.

Why can not Cr Brindley and ICLEI use internet video conferencing for their executive meetings as opposed to jet-setting off around the world, strutting the International stage at the expense of Melbourne ratepayers and the environment? A quick look at the Australian Conservation Foundation web site and you will see they recommend exactly that. Each trip abroad by Melbourne Green Councillor Fraser Brindley is equivalent to approx 15 trees.

In meanwhile the State Government takes no action to address community concern at the ongoing miss use and abuse.

Shame Fraser Shame Cr Fraser Brindley sells out and moves Council behind closed doors

Beyond the minutes - Council meeting december 13, 2005

Item 7.1 Travel Register and its Publication on the Council’s Website

The City Council passed the following motion: Moved Cr Shanahan

That Council:

1.1. publish the Council’s Travel Register on the Council’s Website on a quarterly basis, in accordance with the timeframes established with respect to the publication of Councillor Expense Statements; (why not as and when the reigsiter is unpdated? - good eGoverance practice)
1.2. note that, with respect to travel costs, where the total cost is not finalised, that part costs are included in the published Travel Register and identified as ‘part costs only’; (should not the register list costs occured and paid out by the council - This should included any advanced payments and a breakdown of costs into travel, accomodation, conference fees and sundry)
1.3. reinstate on Council’s website the Travel Register of the previous Council; (about time 4 to 7 yrs is appropiate)
1.4. maintain the Travel Registers on the Council’s website until such time as directed by Council to remove them; (hmmm)
1.5. require a report on the arrangement between the travel service provider/s Council, on National and International travel, including accommodation, to be presented to Finance and Corporate Performance Committee by March 2006; and (good but why so long a period?)
1.6. report on the cost of inbound missions borne by the Council to the Councillor Information Exchange sessions on a quarterly basis. (See below -Closed session)

The original motion included an amendement proposal by Cr Snedden and accepted by Cr Shanahan but was voted down by the Council.

"2.6 record on the Travel Register cost of inbound missions borne by the Council to be presented to the Finance and Corporate Performance Committee on a quarterly basis.” ( Open session available to the public)

The original motion was amended by Green Councillor Frazer Brindley who removed the reference requiring the report to be tabled at the Finance and Corporate Performance Committee instead having it refered to the Councillor Information Exhange Session.

This report will now be considered the behind closed doors in private session and not available to the public


WHY Frazer? You don't support open transparent government?.

This goes against the important principle of open and transparent governance and the Local Government Act which requires proceedings of the Council to be open to the public.

So much for the Green Party's committment to open and honest goverment SHAME Frazer SHAME


Clearly not as ethical as former Green's Councillor David Risstrom

If anything this is an indictment against the elected Council and demonstrates their lack of willingness to keep the public informed.

Ratepayers would like to know the full cost of in-bound missions. It certainly does not appear in the budget papers nor does the cost of in-house catering.

We will have to resort again to FoI the City Council to get hold of thi information. Information that should be readily available to the public.

This again demonstrates the City Council's ongoing abuse of the system and who's holding them to account.

The Travel register is a public document.

It is required under the Local Government (general) Regulations -Reg 11, to be updated regularly and available for public inspection . It should be published on the web as and when the register is updated and not just on a quarterly basis.

The Melbourne City Council continues to avoid accountability as it refuses to move into the 21st century and adopt good e-governance practices.

See previous posts for other issues related to the Travel register ignored by the Council