Perth Voice Interactive

ALL gifts and hospitality given to Vincent’s elected members are to be published online as part of the council’s transparency drive.

Deputy mayor Ros Harley had requested the register go online to make it more easily accessible to locals.

Under Vincent’s rules councillors must declare any gift valued over $50 (and refuse any above $300). Currently, anyone keen for a nosy must navigate the upstairs inner citadel at council HQ. Few bother with the rigmarole.

Mayor John Carey is keen to discuss Vincent’s transparency drive at the WA local government association’s August pow-wow.

He’ll be suggesting other councils follow Vincent’s lead in recording elected member contact with developers and publicising travel. And he’s still keen to prohibit donations from developers to candidates.
Mr Carey predicts some noses may be put out of joint: “This conversation is going to make some people in the local government sector very uncomfortable,” he told the Voice. “Some people in local government don’t want to talk about it.”

Mr Carey said local government copped “a bad perception because of overseas trips or other things in that area” and he hoped an open register would improve things.

by DAVID BELL