Perth Voice Interactive

LISA SCAFFIDI “signally failed in her duties” as Perth lord mayor by not disclosing several gifts and travel packages, according to the corruption and crime commission.

In addition to a big hospitality package to the Beijing Olympics from mining giant BHP, the report reveals property developer Hawaiian Investments offered her three nights’ accommodation in Broome with husband Joe Scaffidi. At the time Hawaiian was part of a consortium seeking $180,000 from the city. The CCC report notes: “Mrs Scaffidi did not even make an impartiality declaration.

“It should have been obvious to Mrs Scaffidi that Hawaiian as part of the BID consortium would benefit from the City’s approval of $180,000.”
A CCC report released Monday October 5 finds “serious misconduct” relating to the failure to disclose those gifts.

Ms Scaffidi also did not declare free tickets, food and accommodation for Chris Isaak tickets, worth north of $600 (anything higher than $300 has to be declared if “the donor is undertaking or intending to undertake an activity that requires council authorisation”).

Ms Scaffidi said she asked then-CEO Frank Edwards if she was allowed to accept the gifts and he’d given her the okay, but the commission determined she was ultimately responsible for her actions.

The report noted that Mr Edwards had co-operated with Ms Scaffidi to keep details of the Olympic visit secret from other councillors for fear it could be used politically against her, working up a declaration of interest for her that “camouflaged” the true nature of the trip.

She later used that declaration to state publicly that the Perth city council had approved her trip.

The commission “did not determine that Mrs Scaffidi had acted corruptly”.

WITH school holidays here, warm weather looming and Hyde Park’s water playground about to be re-populated by youngsters, Vincent council will have another go at trying to convince Main Roads to slow speeds on nearby Vincent Street.

Drivers often zoom down the narrow 60kph street, cars flanked either side making for a perilous gauntlet if kids dart out.

The council wants a lower speed but back in April Main Roads refused, because it’s not a retail/commercial/alfresco zone and claiming there aren’t enough pedestrians to justify a lower speed.

Cr Josh Topelberg wants to give it another go, asking council staff to get onto Main Roads again “due to the significant increase in patronage at Hyde Park during summer and in particular young children using the water playground”.

Back in March the council signed off on a city-wide survey to see if the community would be up for having every local street in Vincent reduced to 40kph.

A $200,000 trial was planned to start rolling the second half of this year but the council doesn’t have the cash to get it started.

CAN you spot the flashing speed signs near Inglewood primary school on Crawford Road?

Voice photographer Matthew Dwyer says the 40kph electronic signs are only visible when he’s less than a few metres away.

The signs were installed in June, along with two more sets at Inglewood primary and kindergarten, as a part of a state government roll-out.

Maylands Labor MP Lisa Baker says she’s met with members of the school’s P&C, who are concerned about their placement.

“Something needs to be done to improve the visibility of the signs,” she says. “It’s pretty ridiculous and is not improving safety at the school by very much.

“The local P&C wants them repositioned as well.”

We asked Main Roads about it but it missed our response deadline, saying staff were on holiday.

The Voice contacted Inglewood primary P&C for comment, but they didn’t get back to us.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

AFTER an informal study tour around the city, Vincent council candidate Anthony Fisk reckons pedestrian crossings are in dire need of an upgrade.

He says he spotted 10 sets of lights across south ward without safe pedestrian crossings, many in the old industrial part of West Perth which he wants spruced up.

“Vincent council should be making our residential areas safer for families,” he says. “It makes no sense to have sets of traffic lights with insufficient signage to guide pedestrians safely across the road.”

He also wants speed slowed around public parks—an issue the council’s battering away on, trying to get Main Roads to lower speed near Hyde Park

NEARLY 100 people attended a council election forum at Bayswater bowling club Tuesday night.

Every candidate but two—Cr Mike Sabatino, looking after a family member, and central ward running mate Jonathan Jones, who was working—was present.

The evening kicked off with a three-minute spruik from each of the candidates: some addresses were personal and reflective, some political and some grandiose.

North ward candidate Brent Fleeton quoted Mahatma Ghandi while Jacquie Kelly promised to transcend the “factions and backroom deals” she said had plagued the council.

Candidates were then asked submitted questions on a wide range of issues, including parking in Maylands, sustainable transport, the environment, dogs off-leash at Riverside Gardens and retail.

“We need to utilise the laneways in the city to increase foot-traffic at night,” said mayor Sylvan Albert, seeking re-election to south ward.

“This will activate the area and help to reduce the amount of anti-social behaviour.”

A Maylands shop owner in the crowd took aim at the city’s parking trial, saying since the introduction of half-hour parking bays in Maylands, their takings had halved.

Cr Albert defended the trial as part of a holistic approach to parking. His ward rival Catherine Ehrhardt said trialing pedestrian-only sections along Eighth Avenue would create vibrancy and increase foot traffic. “There is no easy fix, but we can try out ideas for very little money,” she says.

“We started the Maylands Markets for just $600. Getting the community involved and onboard is a key part of any idea being a success.”

The night was organised and hosted by community group The Bayswater Collective, which did a good job keeping proceedings moving along and preventing candidates from hogging the microphone.

Cr Albert had arranged to leave the forum early, due to a death in his family.

Election postal ballot forms have been sent out and are already being returned.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

A MUSIC ROOM at Mount Lawley Senior High School is to be named after brother and sister musicians Luke and Katy Steele, who attended the school in the 1990s.

Luke fronts Empire of the Sun, and was formerly with The Sleepy Jackson, while Katy fronts Little Birdy.

“Since making it big, Luke has come back to the school and I was really struck by how humble he is,” principal Milton Butcher told the Voice.

“We are trying to find a time when he is in Perth, maybe November, so we can do an official unveiling.

“The room is part of the David Helfgott music facility, which was opened in March.”

The $2 million practice facility was unveiled by the world-famous pianist, who’d briefly attended in year 11 in 1963.

“He told me what mark he got for woodwork,” Mr Butcher said.

“So there are peculiar details he can still remember about his time here.”

Last week Empire of the Sun wrapped up its overseas tour in LA with a sold-out performance at the Hollywood Bowl.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

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

VINCENT council candidate Mark Rossi has been spotted pulling down a poster of rival candidate Dan Loden late at night.

He was spotted by deputy mayor Ros Harley and she says she told him, “that is not the way to win an election, you can’t be pulling election material down.

“He did deny doing it, and I said I just watched you doing it. He denied it, then apologised for doing it.”

Mr Rossi told the Voice Mr Loden was getting an unfair advantage by putting posters up in areas forbidden by the council’s election rules. He said he reported several signs to council staff and claims to have been told he was given the ok to remove them on the basis they were litter.

Council staff have denied giving him that advice.

“It’s no secret that I reported the posters to the City of Vincent and returning officer. I only removed one poster off the light pole because it was about to fall off. Opportunistic event,” Mr Rossi said.

“Ros Harley saw me remove the poster (I have nothing to hide) … I tried to tell her that I had spoken to the rangers and returning officer.

“One regret—I don’t like dirty politics, negativity and especially feeding the trolls, because this has gone out to the media through no choice of [mine], it may reflect badly on the other candidate with the posters. I wanted to keep it confidential and don’t play like that. I have broken no law, I have done nothing wrong, I spoke to many Vincent admin staff about this.”

Mr Rossi says all posters were up most of the weekend and he’d emailed the Vincent CEO to report two other locations. We’ve asked the electoral commission if posters are allowed on poles.

by DAVID BELL

IRREPRESSIBLE octogenarian Amrik Pala is not giving up his fight with Stirling council to get a seniors’ discount reinstated.

The 81-year-old Inglewood ward candidate was fuming when he discovered the off-peak discount for seniors at the Terry Tyzack Leisure Centre had been cancelled (Voice, September 26, 2015). He’s not impressed with the answers he’s received.

Mr Pala, formerly a councillor in NSW, met with council staff last week to propose a revised pricing structure.

“We, the seniors, not only enjoy exercising and keeping fit but also the company of the fellow seniors and social interaction at the gym and even outside of it,” he told the Voice, adding he regularly pumps iron there (and showed us his impressive biceps to prove it).

“The friendship and contacts we have established as members of TTLC gym are priceless.

“I am sure the Stirling council is generous/big enough to look after its seniors who are trying to look after themselves.”

Stirling recreation manager Michael Quirk says Mr Pala’s requests will be considered.

Dianella resident Peter Healy submitted a 64-signature petition demanding the return of the off-peak discounts and a discount for disability support pensioners.

Mayor Giovanni Italiano says the council will “investigate whether there is a basis” for expanding membership discounts but notes “there has historically been very little demand for discounted memberships for disability support pensioners”.

“This new off-peak membership has been established at a very low rate of $660 per annum to encourage all community members, including seniors and other eligible card holders, to attend the city’s facilities during low attendance periods.”

The off-peak discount will still apply to existing memberships, but not new ones.

Mr Pala is up against Shao Fang Wang, and incumbent David Lagan in the ward. We contacted Cr Lagan but he didn’t get back to us.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK