Perth Voice Interactive

PERTH city council’s CEO and his team of media handlers — who are paid by the public to liaise with the media — seem to be blackballing the Perth Voice because they don’t like our coverage of the council, and particularly of lord mayor Lisa Scaffidi.

CEO Gary Stevenson is flat-out refusing to answer any questions about the council’s handling of Ms Scaffidi’s interests in the Grand Central backpackers, unless the Voice apologises for the articles it published last weekend.

Last week the Voice reported — using facts in documents that we obtained under freedom of information laws — that Ms Scaffidi had directed ratepayer-funded staff about how to respond to Sunday Times’ newspaper questions about her private interests in the hostel property.

In a lengthy complaint email, Mr Stevenson took issue with the “accuracy, clarity, fairness and balance” of our articles.

This week the Voice lodged additional questions with Mr Stevenson, but received only this in reply: “City of Perth will not be responding to your queries on this matter until a correction and apology has been published to its satisfaction.”

Meanwhile, senior communications staffer Michael Holland — who personally helped Ms Scaffidi respond to the Sunday Times’ questions — has failed to deal with three enquiries from the Voice, sent August 17, September 1 and September 8, about the hostel.

But it appears the ban now covers everything contentious the Voice asks. On September 8 we asked for access to elected members’ expense reports, which list the expenses elected members can claim for phone bills, clothes, dry cleaning, taxis and haircuts. We received no reply.

Also on September 8 we asked for the policy regarding use of the lord mayor’s car. Again, no answer.

by DAVID BELL