Perth Voice Interactive

NEW Bayswater councillor Brent Fleeton has tried — and narrowly failed — to severely restrict public question time at council meetings.

Describing the sessions as a “demoralising experience” he’d sought to restrict question time to 15 minutes in total, with all questions required to be submitted in writing hours beforehand, instead of being asked in person on the night.

His attempt followed his lambasting last month of resident Greg Smith for allegedly yelling out “sieg heil!” — a remark that had followed the mayor telling a resident he wouldn’t get an immediate answer to a question because it “required too much detail”.

Cr Fleeton, a member of the Friends of Israel WA group, stated many of his north ward constituents are Jewish.

Bear it

“You deal with so much crap,” he said to mayor Barry McKenna at the meeting. “It’s a demoralising experience.” To that, a resident interjected, “you’re insulting us!”.

Cr Terry Kenyon did not support the gag saying question time is the “only forum [residents] get” with the council.

“We might not like what they say, but we have to bear it,” the former mayor said.

by EMMIE DOWLING