Council media ban shows continued lack of transparency at Brimbank says Greens Councillor
Media Release 27th May 2009
Brimbank Greens Councillor Geraldine Brooks believes that the refusal to allow television media into last night’s council meeting shows councillors have not learned a thing from the damning Ombudsman’s report.
“Last night, all 10 Labor councillors refused to allow an urgent business motion I had proposed to override the Mayor’s ban on television media in the council chambers,” said Cr Brooks. “It is such disrespect for transparent governance that allowed the culture apparent in the Ombudsman’s report to thrive at Brimbank in the past.”
“The fact is that all ten Labor councillors are afraid to have the residents and the broader public scrutinise their decisions in a public council meeting via having the media present. It does not bode well for a fresh start at Brimbank” she said.
“The Brimbank Local Meeting Laws need to be amended to enshrine the right of media to scrutinise council meetings including recording the meetings,” she said, “With the Council due to amend the those meeting laws at the June council meeting, I will be moving an amendment to the Local Meeting Laws to ensure that media are entitled to film council meetings in future.”
She added, “I am calling on the ten Labor councillors who banned the media last week to join with me on this. It will be the first of many steps toward open and transparent governance at Brimbank.” Cr Brooks said.
For more info, contact Geraldine Brooks on 0429 327 061.
27.5.09
20.5.09
Ombudsman Report - Letter to the Age
To the Editor,
It is an open secret in our community that Councillors at Brimbank have been acting in an abusive, self interested way for a very long time, often under the direction of external influences from within the Labor Party.
The recently released Ombudsman’s report into Brimbank Council has found that the ‘ruling faction’ in the previous Council ensured a culture of dysfunction and bullying.
The report also found that this is unlikely to have changed very much as evidenced by members of the newly elected Council including Sam David, Troy Atanosovski, Robert Shamon, Tran Siu, Heidi Seitz, Maria Kiselis, acting with external direction from Sam Tabban, Telmo Languiller and George Seitz to form a new ruling faction and decide the Mayoralty within hours of the November 2008 election. As a new Greens Councillor my observation would be that while the bullying and abuse no longer occurs, the modis operandi has not changed.
The amazing thing to me is that while they have been operating in this way, with no thought to the community interest or to the responsibility they have been charged with to act in a morally and ethically responsible manner, the Labor Party then and now, seem to be only concerned with having been caught red handed.
Dick Gross (The Age, 12/5/09) says “it is absolutely legitimate to organise to increase a group's political power”…I agree with him. There is no problem with groups of people getting together to organise and put forward a point of view. But that is not what we are talking about at Brimbank. We are talking about individuals, using vulnerable groups to stack political party branches. Rather than excusing it because “everyone does it”, I rather think it emphasises that we need to be looking to build a genuine alternative for Brimbank.
We know the Liberals are not that alternative. Look at what they have done to workers rights, the sell off of our public infrastructure and enterprises so we no longer have the power to protect ourselves from financial and environmental crisis, and lets not forget that they too participate in branch stacking.
There is also a problem with those councillors taking decisions in the chamber just because they are part of a faction and not being open to listen to arguments put to them by the community and being able to make their own independent decisions based on robust discussion and debate.
Brimbank residents have been deprived of community infrastructure projects over a long period of time in order to accommodate pressure from these councillors, MP’s and Labor party hacks voting purely and simply to advance their own personal or factional interests.
This has meant that one of the most economically disadvantaged areas in Melbourne has suffered with gross neglect for our parks, community services and facilities.
We cannot rely on the Labor party to fix this mess. It is nonsense to say the Minister for Local Government will do anything when his office has refused to take action up until now. Every Labor MP and heavy weight in this area is implicated - right up to Mr Brumby who relies on these players for his power base.
Sacking the Council is only part of the solution. And one that the Labor party would find very convenient. We have to ask, “What then”? Would an administrator appointed by the very people who have refused to investigate the problems be likely to find a genuine solution?
We need to call for an extraordinary election to elect people from and for the community of Brimbank. Our community needs to stand up to these bullies and stand genuine and endorsed candidates in an immediate election, and let the people of Brimbank decide.
Geraldine Brooks
Greens Councillor
Brimbank Council
To the Editor,
It is an open secret in our community that Councillors at Brimbank have been acting in an abusive, self interested way for a very long time, often under the direction of external influences from within the Labor Party.
The recently released Ombudsman’s report into Brimbank Council has found that the ‘ruling faction’ in the previous Council ensured a culture of dysfunction and bullying.
The report also found that this is unlikely to have changed very much as evidenced by members of the newly elected Council including Sam David, Troy Atanosovski, Robert Shamon, Tran Siu, Heidi Seitz, Maria Kiselis, acting with external direction from Sam Tabban, Telmo Languiller and George Seitz to form a new ruling faction and decide the Mayoralty within hours of the November 2008 election. As a new Greens Councillor my observation would be that while the bullying and abuse no longer occurs, the modis operandi has not changed.
The amazing thing to me is that while they have been operating in this way, with no thought to the community interest or to the responsibility they have been charged with to act in a morally and ethically responsible manner, the Labor Party then and now, seem to be only concerned with having been caught red handed.
Dick Gross (The Age, 12/5/09) says “it is absolutely legitimate to organise to increase a group's political power”…I agree with him. There is no problem with groups of people getting together to organise and put forward a point of view. But that is not what we are talking about at Brimbank. We are talking about individuals, using vulnerable groups to stack political party branches. Rather than excusing it because “everyone does it”, I rather think it emphasises that we need to be looking to build a genuine alternative for Brimbank.
We know the Liberals are not that alternative. Look at what they have done to workers rights, the sell off of our public infrastructure and enterprises so we no longer have the power to protect ourselves from financial and environmental crisis, and lets not forget that they too participate in branch stacking.
There is also a problem with those councillors taking decisions in the chamber just because they are part of a faction and not being open to listen to arguments put to them by the community and being able to make their own independent decisions based on robust discussion and debate.
Brimbank residents have been deprived of community infrastructure projects over a long period of time in order to accommodate pressure from these councillors, MP’s and Labor party hacks voting purely and simply to advance their own personal or factional interests.
This has meant that one of the most economically disadvantaged areas in Melbourne has suffered with gross neglect for our parks, community services and facilities.
We cannot rely on the Labor party to fix this mess. It is nonsense to say the Minister for Local Government will do anything when his office has refused to take action up until now. Every Labor MP and heavy weight in this area is implicated - right up to Mr Brumby who relies on these players for his power base.
Sacking the Council is only part of the solution. And one that the Labor party would find very convenient. We have to ask, “What then”? Would an administrator appointed by the very people who have refused to investigate the problems be likely to find a genuine solution?
We need to call for an extraordinary election to elect people from and for the community of Brimbank. Our community needs to stand up to these bullies and stand genuine and endorsed candidates in an immediate election, and let the people of Brimbank decide.
Geraldine Brooks
Greens Councillor
Brimbank Council
8.5.09
Greens Call for new elections at Brimbank Council
The Labor Party have been caught red handed. It is an open secret in our community that Councillors at Brimbank have been acting in an abusive, self interested way, often under the direction of external influences from within the Labor Party for a very long time.
The recently released Ombudsman’s report into Brimbank Council has found that the following people formed the ‘ruling faction’ at Council for some years and ensured a culture of dysfunction and bullying. Natalie Suleyman, Sam David, Ken Capar, Anthony Abate, Katherine Eriksson, and Marylin Zukalski – diverted funds to projects serving their personal interest.
Just prior to the last election they made a deal with George Seitz and Telmo Languiller to fund Keilor Lodge Reserve in return for Natalie’s preselection in the Kororoit by election …and that is just the tip of the ice berg.
The report also found members of the newly elected Council including Sam David, Troy Atanosovski, Robert Shamon, Tran Sui, Heidi Seitz, Maria Kiselis, acted with external direction from Sam Tabban, Telmo Languiller and George Seitz to form a new ruling faction and decide the Mayoralty for the entire four year term within hours of the November 2008 election.
Brimbank residents have been deprived of community infrastructure projects over a long period in order to accommodate pressure from these councillors and MPs.
We cannot rely on the Labor party to fix this mess. It is nonsense to say the Minister for Local Government will do anything when his office refused to take action up until now. Every Labor MP in this area is implicated - right up to Mr Brumby who relies on these players for his numbers. George Seitz, Telmo Languiller, Theo and Andrew Theophanous, Stephen Newnham, Stephen Conroy, are all named in this report. Sacking the Council is only part of the solution.
"I am concerned that we will end up with a Labor appointed administrator and nothing will change," said Greens Councillor Geraldine Brooks, "We should call for an extraordinary election to elect people from and for the community of Brimbank."
"Our community needs to stand up to these bullies and stand genuine community people in an immediate election. We need to build a genuine alternative for Brimbank."
We know the Liberals are not that alternative because we know what they have done to workers rights, how they have sold off most of our public infrastructure and that they branch stack too!
We must call for another election immediately, and let the people of Brimbank decide.
The Labor Party have been caught red handed. It is an open secret in our community that Councillors at Brimbank have been acting in an abusive, self interested way, often under the direction of external influences from within the Labor Party for a very long time.
The recently released Ombudsman’s report into Brimbank Council has found that the following people formed the ‘ruling faction’ at Council for some years and ensured a culture of dysfunction and bullying. Natalie Suleyman, Sam David, Ken Capar, Anthony Abate, Katherine Eriksson, and Marylin Zukalski – diverted funds to projects serving their personal interest.
Just prior to the last election they made a deal with George Seitz and Telmo Languiller to fund Keilor Lodge Reserve in return for Natalie’s preselection in the Kororoit by election …and that is just the tip of the ice berg.
The report also found members of the newly elected Council including Sam David, Troy Atanosovski, Robert Shamon, Tran Sui, Heidi Seitz, Maria Kiselis, acted with external direction from Sam Tabban, Telmo Languiller and George Seitz to form a new ruling faction and decide the Mayoralty for the entire four year term within hours of the November 2008 election.
Brimbank residents have been deprived of community infrastructure projects over a long period in order to accommodate pressure from these councillors and MPs.
We cannot rely on the Labor party to fix this mess. It is nonsense to say the Minister for Local Government will do anything when his office refused to take action up until now. Every Labor MP in this area is implicated - right up to Mr Brumby who relies on these players for his numbers. George Seitz, Telmo Languiller, Theo and Andrew Theophanous, Stephen Newnham, Stephen Conroy, are all named in this report. Sacking the Council is only part of the solution.
"I am concerned that we will end up with a Labor appointed administrator and nothing will change," said Greens Councillor Geraldine Brooks, "We should call for an extraordinary election to elect people from and for the community of Brimbank."
"Our community needs to stand up to these bullies and stand genuine community people in an immediate election. We need to build a genuine alternative for Brimbank."
We know the Liberals are not that alternative because we know what they have done to workers rights, how they have sold off most of our public infrastructure and that they branch stack too!
We must call for another election immediately, and let the people of Brimbank decide.
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