Perth Voice Interactive

PERTH lord mayoral aspirant Reece Harley has riled his Perth city council colleagues with his plan to abolish their clothing allowance if he’s elected.

Currently, elected members can claim from ratepayers more than $10,000 a year on “personal presentation” expenses such as clothing, shoes, haircuts and mustache wax.

Cr Harley buys his own clothes and says he doesn’t think ratepayers should have to shell out for his outfits.

Deputy lord mayor Rob Butler and Cr James Limnios condemned his plan.

“I am disappointed with his negative campaigning and by suggesting lack of transparency and policy this reflects on all of us who maintain integrity,” Cr Butler wrote on his campaign website.

“We have policy update reviews in place and it is not up to one councillor to dictate reform.”

He pointed out that earlier this year Cr Harley had issued mailouts to ratepayers costing thousands. CEO Gary Stevenson asked that the $3300 cost be paid back, but Cr Harley is contesting that ruling, saying it should be covered as an expense since it was a mailout informing residents about council business, not electioneering.

Cr James Limnios concurred with Cr Butler: “Young Reece is definitely getting ahead of himself and choosing an old school left-of-centre dirty campaign against his sitting colleagues.

“This is very unfortunate and shows his lack of depth, experience and knowledge! The City of Perth can not afford to be led with L plates and trainer wheels. Sadly behind all this are some very aggressive political campaigners.”

Cr Harley says “it’s disappointing that a few incumbent councillors have reacted so fiercely to my call for greater transparency in local government. As the capital city of WA we must lead from the front.”

Cr Harley says shortly after his election to the council a colleague sat him down and told him to look nice and respectable. More recently, media staff have told him to spend more on clothing so he doesn’t make others look bad.

“A City of Perth media minder questioned why I’d spent so little of my expenses, and advised me that I should spend more, for fear that my frugality was making others look bad by comparison.”

by DAVID BELL