Perth Voice Interactive

THE line between Lisa Scaffidi’s private affairs and her role as lord mayor have been blurred over the City of Perth’s handling of media enquiries about her co-ownership of a squalid Wellington Street building.

In documents the Perth Voice has accessed under Freedom of Information laws (the application was lodged April 17), it is clear Ms Scaffidi has been directing officers, who are paid from the public purse, how to respond to media inquiries about her private holdings.

On May 1 this year the Sunday Times newspaper emailed a series of questions to the council about Ms Scaffidi’s ownership of the building, known as the Grand Central Hotel backpackers.

Ms Scaffidi was kept in the loop while a reply was framed — she referred to the questions as “lame” — with senior communications officer Michael Holland emailing “this is what I propose to send” and when the lord mayor replied “seems ok to me” he replied, “thank you, will submit”.

While that initial response restricted itself to “City of Perth operations” such as health inspections and the fact no redevelopment application had been lodged, a subsequent exchange went much further.

After receiving Mr Holland’s reply, reporter Kaitlyn Offer asked him—and copied in Ms Scaffidi— “so the mayor does not want to respond to reviews of the building which her company owns, including that it is “insecure and unhygienic”, “should be condemned” and is being used as a “homeless shelter”?

Less than 30 minutes later, Ms Scaffidi emailed Mr Holland, CEO Gary Stevenson and media officer Jane Grljusich, stating: “Please go back and say there is no need for the lord mayor to respond. Repeat (verbatim) — homeless shelters are the responsibility of state government.

“Add the City of Perth records show structural soundness in the building, other issues are cosmetic and not the responsibility of the city or the owner at this time.”

Having advised Ms Scaffidi, the owner of the building in question, that he was “happy to take your direction albeit my advice is not to get drawn in further” Mr Holland replied, “will do”.

The Voice has since asked CEO Gary Stevenson if it is appropriate for council staff to be advising the lord mayor how to respond to media enquiries about her private affairs and whether there have been any breaches of the law or of codes of conduct.

by DAVID BELL