In his President’s address at the recent Local Government Association of Queensland Annual Conference, Councillor Noel Playford called for the establishing of a statutory disciplinary tribunal to deal with improper conduct (of a non-criminal nature) by Councillors. He said that currently any breaches under the Queensland Local Government Act, by a handful of ‘feral Councillors’, can result in the whole body of elected members being brought into disrepute.
From time to time, isolated incidences of spats between Councillors, or questionable behaviour by an individual Councillor, are picked up by local papers and, in some cases, national media outlets. With very few Councillors specifically trained in dealing with the media, particularly when things go pear shaped, a minor issue can quickly be blown out of all proportion. The ease with which media scrutiny can pit Councillor against Councillor is a further cause for concern.
In NSW, the Local Government Minister, Tony Kelly, agrees that the reputation of an entire Council should not be tarnished because of the actions of one or two Councillors. He recently announced that the State Government will push ahead with what has become known as ‘sin binning’ legislation. This will give NSW Councils the ability to suspend individual Councillors whose behaviour is disrupting the functioning of their Council. Minister Kelly said that most Councillors are committed, community minded people who do an excellent job for their communities, and the State Government wants to make sure that these Councillors are protected.
Also speaking at the LGAQ Annual Conference, Governor elect of Tasmania and former UN Envoy, Dr Richard Butler, emphasised the vital role Councils play in ensuring our system of government actually delivers just and fair communities. Yet recently, Australian Local Government President, Councillor Mike Montgomery, was on national television defending the very existence of Local Government. With the particular morning show linking its telephone poll with the emotive issue of town planning decisions, it was not unexpected that the majority of people responding to the question, ‘Should Local Government be abolished?’ answered in the affirmative.
A poll in reference to whether people believed they could do without State Governments is very likely to draw a similar response. The Federal Government would probably fare best on such a question, as most people would be loath to give up sovereign rights to a World Government!
There is no doubt that public perception can be damaging. Most people, when first elected to Council, commence a steep learning curve. Having the support of a mentor or an experienced Councillor is often a vital lifeline.
Councils and their State Associations need to have training and ongoing skills enhancement programs in place to ensure all elected members are equipped to deal with both the highs and lows of public office, and in particular honing their skills for interacting with all stakeholders. Ongoing training for Council staff is now well entrenched in Council’s organisational processes. Similar strategies are absolutely vital for Councillors. In this edition, our Training and Development feature highlights a number of excellent programs in place in a variety of States that are assisting elected members in this regard.
