THE PASSIONATE, THE PRINCIPLED, AND THE PFFFFT
As if we needed any further evidence of the impotence of our elected members of Parliament here in Goulburn.
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On the one hand, you have a passionate and principled advocate in Katrina Hodgkinson; and on the other hand we have the petty and rather pathetic Pru Goward and Angus Taylor.
The passionate and principled stands up for her constituents and gets punted by media release for doing so.
To add insult to injury, Katrina is replaced by an Upper House MP who’s only been in the joint for 18 months.
Bronwyn Taylor – or Bronnie, as she likes to be called – just happens to be the sister of the local Liberal Party Member for Hume, Angus Taylor.
And they wonder why ordinary punters raise their eyebrows and sat ‘pfffft’ every time they open their mouths.
Geoff Peterson, Goulburn
SOME MEETINGS ARE EXTRA EXTRAORDINARY
At an extraordinary meeting of the council on August 23 (GP 26/8), the item for decision was a joint venture between the council and Community Plus.
The recommendation before the council highlighted how the proposal fitted with the council’s strategic alignments and plans. As part of the council’s partnership with the proposal, it was to provide rent assistance over a period of time and this would gradually build to a commercial level.
The council agreed to the proposal, but it was strongly opposed by councillor Margaret O’Neill and two others.
During the discussion, Cr O’Neill held a piece of paper that she said meant the council did not have the authority to act. The document was not circulated so that other councillors could read what it said. The Mayor strongly asserted that the council did have the authority to act.
Cr O’Neill told the meeting that if she didn’t get her way, she would organise a rescission motion, which would stymie the proposal. She also said that she might walk out with an acolyte to deny the council a quorum. Ironically, Cr O’Neill said that she supported the concept of the proposal. Apparently, she couldn’t fathom a way, or ask for assistance in seeking a way, to allow the proposal to go ahead, but move an appropriate amendment to the recommendations that were before the council.
At no time during the discussion was the detail of the recommendation before the meeting, or the Expression of Interest that had been submitted, criticised.
Maybe those who later signed a rescission motion thought that it is better financial management for the council to have a building that it has not been able to sell or lease to continue to generate no income than to partner with a community group that will eventually pay commercial rent and create other dividends for the community.
In the upshot, councillors O’Neill, James and Rowland signed a rescission motion, which means that the whole proposal is now seriously at risk.
Community Plus is now faced with the possibility that it will not be able to partner with the council in a successful application for a significant grant, which was meant to help it get established at Clinton St. It is at risk of losing tenants that it presently has in its previous building.
If this venture fails, it seems to me to be because of the myopic view by three councillors of the potential of our local government area and its residents.
Fred Rainger, Goulburn
A BAN OF NO BENEFIT
I was appalled by the ban on the burkini in some French towns. Such a ban is complete madness and would not achieve any benefit. Such an extreme approach is very exclusive and deepens the divisions in our society. Everyone should have a choice to wear whatever they like.