LGAT AND ACCOUNTABILITY

Calls for Equal Opportunity Tasmania to investigate workplace health and safety for female councillors
Matt Maloney 

Equal Opportunity Tasmania may be asked to do a workplace review of councils following several resignations by female elected members in recent years. The matter will be discussed at the Local Government Association of Tasmania's annual conference in August. ......................... The general meeting agenda, released this week, includes a motion from the City of Hobart which calls on LGAT to commission Equal Opportunity Tasmania for the review. ......................... The motion stated several female councillors had resigned from their positions in 2019 due to online bullying and harassment. ......................... It pointed to a LGAT survey of elected members that showed of the respondents, 60 per cent said they had experienced bullying and harassment and were not clear on legal protections in terms of workplace safety. ......................... More than 40 local government representatives from 16 councils this year signed a joint statement that expressed concern about workplace culture, particularly for women. ......................... The state government in response to the motion said it considered the review would be most appropriately led by the sector. ......................... "This could include a review into the practice and procedure of councils, including the chamber workplace, existing complaints mechanisms, frameworks and any cultural and structural barriers to reporting alleged discrimination or harassment," it said in its response. ......................... The Burnie City Council has submitted a motion for LGAT to investigate the introduction of propositions or referendums for local government and state elections. ......................... It said the Local Government Act at present provided for elector polls, however, these were non-binding. ......................... "It is of course possible, via legislative amendment, to make the outcome of elector polls mandatory, but this would represent a significant change in current legal arrangements," the motion reads. ......................... "At the state level, there is no standing legal mechanism for conducting referenda. ......................... Those conducted in the past have been done through specific legislation." ......................... The state government said it was unclear what this motion sought to implement and why. ......................... "It would be a significant departure from any established Australian legal or democratic framework for issues-based referenda or other forms of public polling to be binding on councils or the Parliament of Tasmania," it said.The Circular Head Council had proposed a motion that calls for stronger penalties for malicious damage and vandalism to public facilities and infrastructure which has not been supported by the government

COMMENT ... It goes almost without saying that questioning the relevance of Tasmania's Local Govt. Association (LGAT) is the equivalent to flatulence at a dinner party. However, it does need to be said that the organisation is all about self preservation. It does not exist to look after the interests and concerns of ratepayers. It does not exist to facilitate fewer local councils. It does not exist to either advocate for or to ensure that councils – plus alderpeople and councillors – are held more accountable.

Let there be no mistake LGAT is the councillors' peak body and in effect it is there for the benefit of councillors not their constituents – their preservation.

Therefore, the news that the agenda for the LGAT AGM is as it is proof positive that ratepayers interests are not on the agenda. That said, there needs to be mechanisms in place whereby councillors are held to account more effectively.

At the extreme end, councils' constituents need to be able express their lack of confidence in their representatives. If that is by referenda so be it.

Ratepayer need to have the ways and means to effectively, and expediently, hold their representatives to account. If COVID-19 has taught us anything, it is that allowing a circumstance to develop and then act is sheer folly. Going hard, as fast as possible and in the most practical ways possible is what is required.

Tasmania needs fewer councils in order to get better value for their investment in local government. Expecting LGAT to facilitate that objective and realistically is the equivalent to using a faulty handbrake as you career downhill towards a cliff. We need brakes all round and always in good repair.

The bogus equivalences put up by the self interested start by pretending loftily to find no difference between aggressor and victim. Nonetheless, in the end they say that it is the victim of the violence and oppression who is really inciting it and that resolution is beyond control.

If COVID-19 has alerted us to anything it is that the status quo in any guise is not the way forward. Change is no longer optional.

Tandra Vale