Perth Voice Interactive

Courtesy doesn’t have to be mandated

UP until 2017 Vincent council members were required to respond to community members within defined timeframes (two days for phone calls, and five days for written communication).

In December 2017 the council removed this requirement from the Code of Conduct, in what I consider to be the most underhand and deceitful way.

No reference was made to removing the requirement in the council report (community members would not have been aware a change was proposed) and the change was not advertised for community comment.  

What’s more, the staff report made it clear that all council members were aware of the changes to the document (I’m looking at you Crs Castle and Hallett).

At this year’s annual meeting of electors, the community members present requested that the requirement be put back into the Code of Conduct.

The administration’s response is to do nothing.

They simply say that the City’s Code of Conduct complies with the Act.

That is true, but that is the “do the minimum” response that is becoming all too familiar at Vincent.

The Act makes provisions that allow councils to add to the ‘model’ document – but the staff couldn’t be fagged.

The feedback I have received over the last few years is that councillors only occasionally respond to the community.

The notable exceptions that I have heard of have been Cr Alexander and former Crs Gontaszewski and Ioppolo.

I expect that the former mayor also responded, but I haven’t any feedback to support that.

At the last election at least two candidates committed to respond to all communication.

It’s a sad day when candidates need to make a point of difference of something so fundamental in the democratic process.

And it is a sad day where you have to legislate for something like good manners.

But that’s what it has come to.

If people want to put up their hand to represent the community, they should be prepared to engage with that community.

Council will be deciding what to do about this at the March 19 meeting.

Dudley Maier
Highgate