As a political tactician Ald Dean is about as streetwise as a fox. You know the animal, the one Ald Dean does not believe has taken up residence anywhere in Tasmania. Now he has a new diversionary tactic in his box of political tricks. His current target is Launceston's 'heritage' Post Office Clock.Looking at today's press this attention grabber seems to bepaying him the kind of dividend he is looking for even if the whole affair appears to be a tad silly.
Yesterday's Council meeting was interesting in couple of ways. As unlikely as it may be Ald. Dean chairs the Council's Heritage Committee. It is hard to imagine how he can reconcile that role with his stance on the PO clock but that's the way it is in Dean's World.
Interestingly, at yesterday's meeting the Aldermen endorsed a plan to put up signage at the city's entry points welcoming visitors to Launceston the "heritage city." For some reason Ald. Dean, nor it seems other Aldermen either, just did not see the irony in Ald. Dean's championing the the silencing of the PO clock and his position on the Heritage Committee.
However, where Ald. Dean's 'clock stance' gets more interesting is yesterday's Council meeting's main item of business, the setting of the city's 2011-2012 budget and rates. Ald. Dean's past assertions that the 'Brighton Rates Model' is flawed, inappropriate, in contravention of the Local Govt. Act, wrong in some way, are now being tested.
It seems he has never been an advocate of such a test and you would have to wonder why not when the Brighton Model, from all accounts, delivers fairness and equity to ratepayers. So, if the city's PO clock provided a diversion from Ald Dean's flagging credibility in regard to the city's budget you have think it has chimed in like a charm and just in time.
It is also interesting to note that as a part of the city's budget something in the order of $6 million was allocated to extending the city's landfill capacity at its 'Waste Centre.' The irony in the timing of this also seems to have been lost in wake of the Federal Govt's Carbon Tax cum ETS announcement on Sunday. One suspects that there is more to be said on that subject that may eclipse the PO clock chimes as a topic worthy of aldermanic attention. Then again maybe not!
8 comments:
Ah the spectre of Ald Dean wearing his wife's fox cape(foxes are apparently invisible in Tassie) so as not to be so conspicuous, surreptitiously scaling the outside of the Post Office Tower in the middle of the night to muffle the chimes!!
Please Reynard, don't take the p*** out of Alderman Ivan Dean. This is a very serious matter and everyone knows that Alderman Dean is a serious person. He takes every issue seriously. He did use to be a policeman and everyone knows they have no sense of humour.
I remember when he was Mayor and was asked to address us senior students at Scotch Oakburn College on future aspirations of young people in their Leaver's Year.
When asked if one of his standards was a SENSE OF HUMILITY (a serious question) his reply was that a SENSE OF HUMOUR was essential to his thinking,
Yes, well maybe he didn't hear the question properly or was in someway misunderstood!!
Gulp.
The hysteria surrounding the council investigation of the chiming of the town clock must be examined a little more fully than has been at present. Aldermen are often publicly criticised for not acting on concerns brought to them by constituents, visitors to the city and members of the public. In this case Alderman Dean has acted promptly on complaints and issues brought to him. Like other aldermen, I too have been approached by people making complaints and raising concerns that they want examined and I mentioned this when speaking to the motion at council.I have received emails, phone calls and verbal complaints about the issue.This doesnt mean I agree with them as I have never stayed in a hotel in the middle of the city; part of our job I believe is to bring community concerns to the table for discussion.On a calm night I can hear the chiming from my place but it doesnt personally bother me as I am used to it. Its frustrating to read and hear that some people think that aldermen should just ignore community concerns because they dont think its an issue. Alderman Dean's motion asked for council to investigate the matter; a fair and just request in keeping with requests from the community and those visitors and businesses who had made complaints.I look forward to looking at the report that will involve input from council officers and community members . I understand people criticising politicians for not acting on a concern but its disappointing to see criticism levelled at aldermen for doing their job in bringing community concern to the table. People may have strong views on the issue and support it or not support it BUT one would hope people are not critical for aldermen bringing the complaints and concerns raised to the council for discussion and examination.
To Ald Soward and other LCC Aldermen.
If only LCC Aldermen took to such issues with the same enthusiasm as this one!
Firstly, this issue has been debated previously and Council received a resounding NO CHANGE PLEASE from its ratepayers.This investigation will cost ratepayers for sure.
You have already been alerted to a High Court Decision from the UK on this very type of issue. That High Court Decision will become relevant under Australian law, should this issue ever reach an Australian Court. Please don't treat this concern as trivial.
One has to be cynical about all of this just being a smokescreen to take the focus away form other much more important issues such as RATE INCREASES ABOVE CPI, LACK OF BUDGETRY RESTRAINT, A FAIRER RATES SYSTEM, REMOVAL OF UNWANTED BIKE LANES and many more important issues.
Council resolved to consult the community on rates and budget, but before these matters were dealt with you then resolved NOT TO CHANGE THE RATING SYSTEM THIS YEAR.
How cynical a posturing is that?
Don't be afraid of being criticized, you are all public figures and you are paid well to undertake this task for which you promote yourselves to be elected.
This community will continue to seek to bring you all to account and to deliver on your election promises, still found wanting.
Getting back to the Centenary Town Clock.
Do Alderman realize that the clock does not chime (other than toll the hours) between 11pm and 6am)?
The words spoken in the media and media reporting certainly confuse this fact.
The hysteria is all at Council at the moment Aldermen, particularly with regrettable and embarrassing comments being repeated and promoted in the media, such as "BURY THE BELL IN THE TAMAR SILT" and calls to "BLOW IT UP".
Please take your ratepayers views seriously and don't criticize your ratepayers for complaining about Aldermen not taking their legitimate concerns seriously.
Im definitely not afraid of being criticised.My entire previous post was about acting on council looking at an issue brought to us by a number of different people and groups. My previous post said "Like other aldermen, I too have been approached by people making complaints and raising concerns that they want examined and I mentioned this when speaking to the motion at council.I have received emails, phone calls and verbal complaints about the issue.This doesnt mean I agree with them as I have never stayed in a hotel in the middle of the city; part of our job I believe is to bring community concerns to the table for discussion." I respect the right of any alderman bring consituents concerns to the table as occurs on many many other issues.A previous report may have happened prior to my time on council; I am sure this previous report will be used in this investigation.Im simply arguing the right of concerns to be heard- I certainly haven't said things like"BURY THE BELL IN THE TAMAR SILT" and "BLOW IT UP".This to my mind adds nothing to the issue.I do not accept its alright for alderman to be unfairly criticised for bringing a matter to the table that comes to them from constituents, from tourists and from business. If we did not bring these matters to the table then people would have right to post on websites such as this and media sites saying that aldermen arent listening to their concerns or acting upon them.
When I spoke in the debate my remarks all centred around the fact that the motion called for a report and acted upon the concerns brought forward by the community.
Alderman Soward, this blog doesn't limit the number of words you use in a response, so why don't you address the issues in my paragraph 3 ?
They are all issues raised with you but where is the evidence that you brought those to the Council table? Have you called for reports to be written on these issues.
These issues are vitally important to all ratepayers and nothing like the relative triviality of the Town Clock chimes.
Please don't hide behind something that occurred in Council just weeks before you were elected, because in any event you were specifically alerted to this prior to the last Council Meeting.
Have you listened to what the Alderman said on ABC television on Monday evening? If not, and you wouldn't be writing what you are if you had, then go to the ABC website and listen to it.
You say these particular words adds nothing to the issue. What they display is the utter stupidity and childishness of what Aldermen can say publicly. The community would by now have expected that Alderman to have been called upon by the Mayor and other Aldermen to apoligize and withdraw such comment.
Will this occur?
Im not hiding behind what happened before I was elected.a report commissioned and completed before I was elected is simply something I was not part of and had no knowledge of its background or reasons for commissioning..I am , and I repeat again because you clearly miss what Im saying-defending the right of an aldermen to bring issues that have been brought to them to the table.The matters you refer to like RATE INCREASES BUDGETS, A FAIRER RATES SYSTEM, REMOVAL OF UNWANTED BIKE LANES have been discussed at council very recently - an examination of recent council agendas and listening to the audio recording of our meeting would show that council has acted upon bike lanes/ bike strategy [I think that was two meetings ago].At our meeting this week, with an empty public gallery, we discussed issues around the budget, around rates and steps we were taking..anyone listening to the audio would have heard that.Just because I defend the right of any alderman to bring matters to the table doesnt confirm that I agree or disagree with the issue.. it means that they are bringing matters forward that have been raised with them. You seem to miss my point.It frustrates me no end that criticism is levelled for inaction yet people do not attend the meetings to hear and see what goes on nor listens to the minutes to hear what we say YET represent views that were not said. Once again I reiterate I will always defend the right of any alderman to bring forward matters raised by consituents, members of the public, business, welfare groups WHOEVER...but that does not mean I support the matter- just their right to bring it forward. As Voltaire once said "I may not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it."
Alderman Soward, you continue to prove the point made in our earlier response, and that is that you REFUSE to put the words here in this blog explaining what you are doing about RATE INCREASES ABOVE CPI, LACK OF BUDGETRY RESTRAINT, A FAIRER RATES SYSTEM, REMOVAL OF UNWANTED BIKE LANES.
You instead refer people to the AUDIO SYSTEM !!
You are expecting people to sit through HOURS of tape recording to find out what you said.
You are incorrect in stating that the PUBLIC Gallery was empty that day.
You did not deal with the Rates/Budget items UNTIL ABOUT 5 HOURS INTO THE MEETING !!
Did you expect ratepayers to sit there all those hours ??
Even the elderly Ald Shipp had retired from the meeting and gone home by the time the agenda item was reached, and he had been sitting in a comfortable chair and had been provided with afternoon tea (not so lucky for the public!!)
Why can't you tell us in writing here?
You expect ratepayers to attend endless hours of LCC Meetings, but in spite of PROMISES to the Ratepayers Association that you would attend meetings of our Association to report to our members, you have not attended a single meeting since you were elected.
What really is your problem with communicating Rob?
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