Скачать или смотреть Local Government Bill Speech (from 2020)

I introduced amendments to remove commercial-in-confidence agreements. Roughly 1 in 10 council decisions are made in closed meetings. Councils are dealing with ratepayers funds and in closing council meetings to the public they are concealing their dealings.

I refer to the debacle of the WAVES Swimming Centre in Wodonga and dealings with the developer who did shoddy work. Re-tiling the pool cost ratepayers almost half a million dollars. Council sought compensation from the builder and received some compensation under the builder's guarantee, but at the end of the day this figure was commercial-in-confidence, and Wodonga ratepayers have no idea what they paid for a redo of shoddy work.

It's ridiculous! Ratepayers paid for a facility without knowing how much it cost!

A council's accounts should be a matter of public record. The concealing of this information should NOT be a secret. Transparency is the enemy of cronyism and grey gifts. It is the remedy for corruption.