Labor
BEAT-UP: Brimbank council sacked for remarkably petty reasons say Labor insiders
The Brumby government’s weakest link Richard Wynne has snapped again, this time sanctioning the termination of the recently elected Brimbank council.
VEXNEWS hasn’t sighted the full report by the municipal inspector but trusted ALP insiders explain that the most innocent and petty incidents have been massively inflated into a mini-scandal to justify punting the council, mainly comprising allies of Labor patriot maverick George Seitz.
It is now clear that any council can be sacked on the flimsiest of pretexts and some would think this matters little. But what does matter is the attempt by some to make politics itself an act of wrongdoing.
We understand that one of the stated reasons for the council’s ousting was a letter from a local ALP branch expressing a hope that councillors would vote a certain way. If true, that is utterly ridiculous. Why can’t they express a view?
We’ll be taking a careful look at this issue nor because it greatly matters what happens on or to Brimbank councillors but because of the ongoing absurdity of creating an envirinment that effectively criminalises political party involvement in local government.
Applied to the Parliament, these ideas would see party room meetings deemed to be elaborate criminal conspiracies. When will the absurdity end? Not for a while yet it seems.
Here’s Dick Wynne’s media release.
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
Brimbank City Council will be suspended immediately and administrators appointed until November 2012, the Minister for Local Government, Richard Wynne, announced today.
Mr Wynne said the second report from Local Government Inspector Bill Scales AO, who was appointed following the Ombudsman’s report into the council in May, showed a failure of councillors to reform their practices and address issues of probity and misconduct.
“In the interests of good governance for the people of Brimbank and on advice from the Local Government Inspector, the State Government has decided to suspend Brimbank City Council and will move to dismiss the council until the next local government elections in November 2012,” Mr Wynne said.
“Unfortunately, the Government has been left with no choice, given that Mr Scales has found that councillors have fundamentally failed to correct poor practices and issues of probity and misconduct.
“Sacking a council is a very serious step and one this Government does not take lightly. Our Government has only dismissed one other council – Glen Eira City Council, in 2005, for a failure of good governance.
“It is clear however, the new councillors are either unwilling or unable to accept that their role is to represent their local community and that their behaviour needs to change dramatically.
“I said clearly when I appointed Mr Scales the council were on notice and if we did not see real cultural change at Brimbank we would take action. We are taking action today to restore leadership and good governance for the people of Brimbank.”
The report from Mr Scales found a continuation of “the very same poor practices” that led to the Ombudsman’s investigation. Mr Scales recommended the council be removed.
Mr Wynne said he appointed Mr Scales in line with the Ombudsman’s recommendation that the new council be given an opportunity to govern effectively and appropriately.
“It was clear to this Government and to the people of Brimbank the council had to urgently repair the systemic failures of governance, which had robbed the community of good local government.
A number of incidents described in Mr Scales’ report demonstrated the current council had not addressed the behavioural and cultural issues highlighted by the Ombudsman, including:
• An attempt by a councillor to inappropriately challenge the legitimate issuing of a parking fine;
• The leaking of confidential information;
• Systemic misconduct of councillors; and
• An attempt at undue influence of councillors by an outside organisation.
Mr Wynne said the suspension had immediate effect and Mr Scales would act as interim administrator until legislation to dismiss the council was passed.
“The suspension is effective immediately and runs for a maximum of a year. We will introduce legislation at the earliest opportunity to dismiss the council until the next scheduled local government elections in November 2012. Once this is passed, Mr Scales will be replaced by a panel of three administrators,” he said.
Mr Wynne thanked Mr Scales for his thorough work over the past four months and for his commitment to steer Brimbank Council through this early period of administration.
“Mr Scales brings considerable skills and experience to this important task, which will be to ensure the council is run and operating according to the law and public expectations going forward,” Mr Wynne said
Discussion
42 comments for “BEAT-UP: Brimbank council sacked for remarkably petty reasons say Labor insiders”
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This isn’t the first time that this has happened, as the former Sunshine Council was sacked in the early seventies. Do you really expect the Government to allow this Council to continue like a festering sore on the political landscape twelve months before an election?
You obviously don’t live in Brimbank! I shifted here 10 years ago [having lived in Geelong, Eastern Suburbs & inner city] & have witnessed the most appalling local government here. Firstly, the councillors dont seem to know how to conduct themselves in public, open public quarrelling leading to physical violence at times [I've witnessed it!] Secondly, obvious corruption [read 1st report & Hakki Suleyman's rental of Sunshine offices for $100 a yr from memory.]Thirdly, having actively worked for funding for kid’s sporting facilities here, i wondered why I ever bothered after the 08 report. Should have been sacked 10 month’s ago.
Matt- I agree, I have lived in Brimbank most of my life. The ALP bullies in this area do nothing but take care of their personal interests, I have witnessed this first hand, through St. Albans branch ALP meetings, the bullying very recently of a community group I am in involved in and other instances. Enough is enough good riddance!!!
PS. Hopefully most residents in this area will wake up to themselves and start voting for another party in order to make their voices heard.
We can all thank biscuit tin seitz
Suleyman (both of them) GONE!! Seitz GONE! Brimbank Council GONE!! After living here for 35 years I’m now beginning to enjoy it.
The Municipal Inspector has been appointed as the Administrator. Seems corrupt to me. The municipal inspector benefits from finding corrupt practices, and pretty minor ones at that.
If one councillor tries to get a constituent off a parking fine (and was probably justified in doing so) why should the whole council be sacked? There are some good councillors at Brimbank. Even Geraldine Brooks is a good councillor. Heidi Seitz is one of the best. Melton was a disaster under administrators. Brimbank is likely to be the same. Who are ratepayers and residents to complain to if they don’t like decisions made by Council officers? This action by Comrade Wynne is a disgrace.
Biscuit tin came to being by a half wit copulating with a goat.
I work for a government department as receptionist and the amount of complaints I get daily is endless. People want us sacked, does that mean we sack a governing body because of constituents constantly nagging. Only this corruption can happen under a Brumby Labor government. This whole Brimbank thing was a beat up and corrupt from the very starting point of Spring Street all the way through to Collins Street ombudsman office and now officially ended at Alexandra Avenue in Sunshine. Well done to the comrades of the western suburbs you have all been sold by your ALP mates LEFT and RIGHT!
YEAH YEAH BABY bye bye seitz clowns
What pisses me off it that the antics at Brimbank are tainting other councillors in other municipalities. I am a councillor, and I am also friends with local MP’s but if they asked me (and they wouldn’t) to change a policy decision I would tell them to get stuffed.
I find that my relationship with my local MP is a benefit to our community,
George Seitz this will be your lasting legacy, I am just so glad I don’t have a MP like you in our area.
Don’t blame Wynne blame Seitz
Can Dick Wynne exaplin Bill Scales CV to the residents of Brimbank. WDF would he no about brimbank. We want George Seitz to be appointed as the administrator it would make it fair more easier.
well Former Labor Patriot piss off and leave your job if you are that upset
Now the voters might vote for the real and origional Labor Party
suffer in yer jocks – now you know what it was like when glen eira council was sacked for a bit of petty bickering
This is nothing more than a smokescreen to keep a lid on the damage Labor Cr’s could do to next years election campaign. If Brumby was serious he would have a criminal investigation done on Seitz and Sulieman to see what came out of Brimbank. He might even do something about preferential voting as this is Labor’s greatest control asset.
How can breaching confidential items be sackable in Brimbank when it isnt in other ALP Councils?
Seitz’s stooges Troy, margaret, sam, shammon, robert, martin, miller, heidi, tran (Mr Delegation) got what was coming!! will there be an investigation into Seitz interfering in the council ??
when will Languiller, O’Connor, seitz be investigated??
Mr Scales has found that councillors have fundamentally failed to correct poor practices and issues of probity and misconduct.
• An attempt by a councillor to inappropriately challenge the legitimate issuing of a parking fine;
• The leaking of confidential information;
• Systemic misconduct of councillors; and
• An attempt at undue influence of councillors by an outside organisation.
I hear Heidi Seitz was the councellor challening the parking fine
Deputy mayor Tran Sui this morning on ABC 774 denied he was a member of the Labor Party!! Suprise suprise Tran you still appear on the membership books, will you resign??
Scales simply completed the job he was given. Who ever thought the outcome would be any different. One should ask why that Surf Coast got let off such gross incompetence. Most of those Councillors couldn’t even read a balance sheet.
Council Janitor you enjoy all you want cause it’s not over…….
Kerry lose some weight you looked awful on TV. Lazy Nick Foa sending you to collect Crs equipment part of your role as EA to the CEO typical Brimbank style…
Sacked disgraced Mayor Troy Atanovski just pay the parking fine and stop hunting officers down to resind a $100 fine. FOOL
Well what about Deputy Mayor Tran sui (nephew\ of Sang Nuygen)who’s been under investigation for using his council position for his business interests serves you right for being sacked> more to come
Andy Please expose Sang’s nephew & protegy axed Fmr Cr Tran Sui and wanabee state MP.
George Seitz and Co is the sort of worthless dishonest filth the ALP must excrete out of it’s membership lists.
George will be remembered as one of the greats of the Victorian Labor movement.
Calvin you are an idiot. Were you the result of an incestuous encounter?
You leave George alone
The sacking of Brimbank Council is a disgrace. Mornington Peninsula is a bad clowncil, but it won’t be sacked. Too many Liberals in the local government inspectorate. Only Labor Councils, and hard working ones at that like Brimbank get sacked.
I hear that police will investigate Seitz, Sacked Mayor Troy Atanovski, Margaret Guidice, Tran Sui Sam David and co.
I hear that Antanasovski and Sui were the bad apples on council the ones who tried to get out of parking tickets and advance their private business interests. wouldn’t like to be in that minority of councillors that did nothing wrong
Yeap I am hearing that disgraced x mayor and stingy maco Troy Atanovski was fined from officers over his truck being parked in front of his house. He was arguing a $100 fine. Tran Sui was the sacked councillor with the business interests. Sacked lefty and Italia Pokies Club shareholder Margaret Giudicue was the clown leaking the documents. She was so stupid that she done it with council laptop. All is funny because Sleitz and federal minister Brendon O’Connor are absolutely fuming over the sackings because the clowns are all there puppets.
Giudicue was the leaker. She done it from her council laptop.
Sacked lefty and Italia Pokies Club shareholder Margaret Giudicue was the clown leaking the documents. She was so stupid that she done it with council laptop. All is funny because Sleitz and federal minister Brendon O’Connor are absolutely fuming over the sackings because the clowns are all there puppets.
Disgraced mayor and tighta$$ Troy Atanovski was arguing a $100 fine. Stupid. He learnt of his master Seitz.
Sacked Sercombe lefty and Italia Pokies Club shareholder Margaret Giudicue was the idot leaking documents from her council laptop.
Sacked x Margaret Giudice is being investaged also for hosting council functions at her husband’s club which where paid for by Brimbank Council
Margaret Giudice is not under investigation and did not leak documents, you defaming bastards. Seitz was the one who leaked the Errington Reserve issue and Atanasovski was the one who leaked the VicRoads briefing.
What documents did Margaret leak. I did not read any of this in the OV report or the Bill Scales report.