Perth Voice Interactive

MT LAWLEY MP Michael Sutherland has fired a broadside at Stirling city council, claiming its anti-amalgamation campaign is “scaremongering” and packed with “half truths and misinformation”.

The council has come under fire in recent weeks for issuing letters to residents in Dianella and Inglewood claiming they would suffer if borders were to shift, placing them inside the proposed Bayswater-Bassendean super council.

ABC radio’s Geoff Hutchison questioned the ethics of the council issuing pre-filled submission forms to homes.

Mr Sutherland, who is speaker of the Legislative Assembly and a former deputy lord mayor of Perth, sent an email to Stirling mayor Giovanni Italiano: “The city’s publicity campaign run over the last number of months has been one largely of half truths, misinformation and conjecture,” he wrote.

“I have expressed my dissatisfaction about this to you on two occasions.

“This was another of the city’s exercises in scaremongering.”

Mr Sutherland—whose wife Michelle is a Bayswater councillor—added the council had backtracked on a previous commitment to work with the state government.

“Your letter to me was disingenuous,” the MP signed off.

Cr Italiano says the whole debate has become a “political football and blown out of proportion”.

“I’m not putting the boots into Bayswater, I’m just fighting to hold onto suburbs that currently belong to Stirling,” he says.

“I stand by everything we have put out—none of it has been misinformation.

“I spoke privately to [Bayswater mayor] Sylvan [Albert] on the phone this week and we agreed not to argue back and forth anymore.

“At the end of the day, our submission is in and the local government advisory board will now make a decision.”

Meanwhile, Cr Albert says his council has been inundated with calls from Stirling residents “expressing anger and bewilderment” at the council’s letter opposing reform.

“The letter left some residents under the impression their suburb name would change and they would be joining a mythical greater Morley council,” he says.

“To put it kindly, the claims in the letter are ridiculous and appear to have been worded so as to mislead.

“Our approach to the reform process differs from Stirling city council, as we have concentrated on trying to achieve the best outcome for our community, rather than on protecting our turf.

“Bayswater city council has no intention of closing libraries or recreation facilities.”

Cr Albert says residents regarded the pre-filled submission form as patronising: “The completed form suggested they were incapable of providing their own comments.”

by STEPHEN POLLOCK