Phone Survey To Happen

TONIGHT the Councillors voted to proceed with the $9,000 phone survey of 400 people to help decide if they will allow a referendum of local residents regarding the election process of the Mayor, which would only cost $12,000.

Cr Watts had put forward a motion, seconded  by Cr Peebles not to conduct the survey and simply hold the referendum as requested by the community.

Cr Watts said she would not be standing for Council in eight years time and that it was time Councillors listened to their community and allow the referendum to occur.

A motion was put forward by Cr Johnsen and seconded by Cr Driscoll that the survey take place beginning his remarks with “people who are racists always begin their sentence with ‘I’m not racist’ but…”

Cr Campbell said Council needed to spend time educating people in the electorate about their choice, before they could approve any referendum.

Earlier in the meeting Mayor Bedggood had to caution Mr Johnsen about his language in the Council Chamber when he responded to a question exclaiming the words “shut up!”

scone.com.au had lodged questions with the Council to be answered and much confusion ensued about if questions could be asked of Councillors during the meeting and in what format.

Mayor Bedggood resolved to allow the questions, with Cr Johnsen quick to add that Council would probably not answer the questions directly and would defer their answers.

The question related to comments by Greg Piper MP in this morning’s story “Wasting Money or Avoiding Decisions?” that Mayors elected by Councillors were often preferred by political parties, as it allowed the parties to elect as Mayor a member of their party.

Councillor Lorna Driscoll pictured on the right campaigning for the Nationals candidate in the last state election.

The question was as follows:

Some people believe political parties prefer Council elected Mayors so that they can assist members to become Mayor. While all Councillors are listed as independent, which Councillors are members of, or have ever been a member of a political party or assisted in any political party campaign?

The question was openly addressed by Mayor Bedggood, Cr Fisher and Cr Watts, who all confirmed they had not.

However, it sparked passionate protests from other Councillors, led by Cr Johnsen.

“This is ridiculous and quite frankly completely out of order!

Councillor Maurice Collison, pictured second from the left also campaigning for the National’s candidate.

“If they want to make it public then they do, if not shut up!”

Mayor Bedggood cautioned Cr Johnsen on his language.

Cr Campbell was also incensed saying it was not anyone’s right to know.

“There are people you know who after the last election would not take notice of the results of the Mayor election, would not even recognise that he (Cr Johnsen) was Mayor and that was by the Labor people,” said Cr Campbell.

Mayor Bedggood urged Cr Campbell to stay on topic and address the questions at hand, which did not reference previous elections.

Cr Collison said “no”, but when asked for clarification about if he had campaigned for the Nationals in the last state election, Cr Johnsen cut across again asserting it was irrelevant.

Councillors Peebles, Driscoll and Campbell did not answer the question.

Councillor Bishop was not present at the meeting.