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Briefings record defended Neil Walker neil@baysidenews.com.au A COUNCILLOR who plans to write to Victorian Local Government Minister Natalie Hutchins about “ensuring a minimum level of input from councillors elected to office” has been forced to defend his own contribution at Frankston Council. Deputy mayor Cr Glenn Aitken told councillors at this month’s public council meeting that he would be writing to Ms Hutchins seeking a change to the Local Government Act despite his colleagues narrowly voting against the proposal (‘Councillors’ work questioned’, The Times 16/2/15). Meetings attendance rates have become a sensitive topic between councillors amid claims some councillors feel “bullied” at behind the scenes councillors briefing sessions (‘Councillors ‘feel bullied’’, The Times 26/1/15). After Cr Aitken’s suggestion that council write to the minister was voted down, discussion moved on to councillors’ attendance at briefings where council officers provide information to councillors about issues to be voted on at public council meetings. Councillors unanimously agreed to include individual councillors’ briefings attendance figures in future annual reports. An analysis of councillors’ briefings attendance records shows Cr Aitken attended just 20 out of 54 briefings in 2013, by far the lowest level of attendance compared to his fellow councillors.
Cr Glenn Aitken
Cr Aitken told The Times he decided not to attend some briefings that year due to “the appalling attitude shown to me by a couple of councillors”. “I was very unpopular within council [that year]. At times I’m unpopular because I say it like it is and a lot of people don’t want to hear that.” He said some councillors had made “extremely demeaning” comments to him in 2013. Ironically, councillors, including Rebekah Spelman, Michael O’Reilly and Suzette Tayler, now say they have not felt comfortable when attending briefings this year due to an alleged “toxic environment”. Cr Aitken said the briefings statistics do not reflect the numerous
meetings, “several hundred” a year, he calls and holds with residents about particular subjects requiring action by council. Council records show Cr Aitken attended 47 of 65 briefings in 2014, the third lowest attendance rate of Frankston’s nine councillors. “I’m pushing the issue of people making input … when you’ve got councillors who are not attending briefings and are not doing anything else visible in the community, there is a major problem,” he said. “If a councillor is missing a number of briefings but they’re clearly and visibly doing other things in the community I don’t have a problem with that.” He acknowledged it is not a councillor’s responsibility to monitor their fellow councillors’ “input”, adding “to some degree it is”. “If you’ve got councillors who’re doing a conscientious job … [but have] others who totally under perform, that just can’t go on. “Other councillors have focused very heavily on the briefings records. I have focused on input. “Anyone in council who wants to point the finger at me needs to be very careful because I have the documented evidence over 11 years in this council ... which carry my meetings into the thousands mark.” Debate about councillors’ commitment to their roles as elected representatives of their community led to councillors shouting at each other across the council chamber last month amid “bullying” claims and counter claims.
Rainbow warriors: Frankston SES member Jessy Metcalfe, middle front row, and fellow emergency service personnel join forces with Star Wars stormtroopers at the annual Midsumma gay pride festival.
Show of support on parade FRANKSTON’S emergency services were represented at Melbourne’s annual gay and lesbian pride parade, part of the Midsumma festival, early this month. Frankston SES unit member Jessy Metcalfe, 21, joined Victoria Police, CFA and Ambulance Victoria members and about 4000 others on the march through St Kilda on Sunday 7 February. “The crowd was really happy we were out there being supportive because they will know they can contact us if they need help,” she said. Premier Daniel Andrews and wife Catherine became the first Victorian premier to attend and join the parade, the 20th in its history.
“We got to meet up with the Premier and other emergency services members and had a good chat,” Ms Metcalfe said. There were about 15 members from SES units around Victoria including Brimbank, Footscray, Sunbury and Glen Eira representatives. It is the second year Frankston SES has attended the parade. “There are gays and lesbians within SES units who are out there being proud and we’re showing we are supportive and fellow colleagues are supportive so it’s about showing the community it’s not ‘a quiet hush hush thing’”. Neil Walker
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