Gill ready to lose seat over conduct code Keith Platt keith@mpnews.com.au DESPITE knowing it would be a breach of the Local Government Act, Cr David Gill says he won’t sign a councillors’ code of conduct unless it is changed to lift the veil of secrecy involved in decision making. “Too many things are debated in private [by Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors], the public hardly gets to hear anything,” Cr Gill said. The clock is ticking for Cr Gill with just two council meetings to go before the one-month signing deadline. If he has not signed the code before Monday 13 March Cr Gill will lose his right to be a councillor. Cr Gill claims to have been gagged at the Monday 20 February council meeting when the mayor Cr Bev Colomb refused to accept amendments he proposed for the code on conduct. “I didn’t get a chance to change it; I was denied the opportunity to change it,” he said. Cr Gill said he accepted some of the changes to the code but believed it worked in opposition to the council’s stated aims of wanting to be transparent. He said more information, especially about planning matters, should be publicly available. Cr Gill said most planning matters
were being decided “under delegation” by council officers although councillors were now “waking up to the fact there’s a need for them to speak with the officers”. “Everything seems to be classed as a confidential working paper, which means councillors aren’t allowed to speak about them in public. “All briefing papers are marked confidential, but they shouldn’t be. That would be transparency, and we haven’t got it right.” Transparency was the word most frequently used by Cr Gill in the amendments he sought to the code of conduct. “My additions and alterations to our version basically make transparency a main message … I also believe that the community will appreciate this additional emphasis,” Cr Gill stated in an email to his fellow councillors when explaining his reasons for seeking to amend the code. The email was sent pone day before the 20 February public council meeting. Basically, Cr Gill wanted them to agree to promoting “openness to scrutiny, transparency and accountability” in most council decisions. During the meeting the mayor Cr Bev Colomb told Cr Gill he was “testing things at the moment”. Cr Hugh Fraser (who signed the previous code of conduct under protest): “Those provisions of the old code of
conduct, for example, that prevented criticism of other councillors for the way in which they debate and way they exercise their vote in council have been excised in the interests of promoting openness and free speech in council and adhering to our democratic traditions.” Governance manager Joe Spiteri said councillors could bring back amendments to the code “and the administration will act accordingly”. In a statement issued by the shire three days later, the mayor Cr Colomb was quoted as saying she “expects the newly-adopted councillor code of conduct to further strengthen council’s governance and maintain the highest standards of conduct and behaviour in the best interests of our communities”. The shire’s media department did not respond when asked for further comment from the mayor. The code can be viewed at shire offices or online at mornpen.vic.gov.au/ councillors
South America SPEAKER Heather Ducat will talk about Iguazu to Atacama – world’s largest waterfall and driest desert – South America, at Peninsula Field Naturalists’ next meeting. It’s on at 8pm, Wednesday 8 March, at 16 High St, Frankston. All welcome. Call Judy, 0400 910 941.
First aid class for parents STANDING by helplessly watching a child suffer from a sudden injury, or perhaps even die, is a nightmare scenario for parents. From babies being left in hot cars, to house-hold furniture toppling over, or toddlers scaling pool fences and falling into swimming pools … parents are beset by myriad health and safety concerns with most not having the skills or knowledge to help. To combat this, parents and caregivers are being urged to learn paediatric first aid training at a free course being held at Mt Martha on Saturday 29 April and continuing monthly. This is the first of many courses to be held in Melbourne’s south-east. Co-founder and CEO of Tiny Hearts First Aid Nikki Jurcutz has seen firsthand the tragic result of parents not being able – or prepared – to act in a medical emergency. “Time and again I would arrive at
jobs where infant and child first aid could have lessened the impact of an incident, or, even more worryingly, saved a life,” said Ms Jurcutz, who is also a paramedic with Ambulance Victoria. Responding to this lack of community knowledge, Tiny Hearts First Aid successfully applied for government funding to allow it to train 1500 parents or caregivers in the skills needed to save their child in an emergency. The course will cover all topics related to infant and child first aid, including CPR and water safety. “It is our hope that, through these funded first aid courses, we can foster proactive members of our community to be empowered to act effectively if anything should happen to their child,” Ms Jurcutz said. Tiny Hearts First Aid will be hosting the free courses each month. Details: tinyheartsfirstaid.com
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Southern Peninsula News
28 February 2017
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