Comment on Town Council riven by conflict, lack of leadership by John Bell.
@I’m here for Funzies. If Funzies is correct, and it is a case of independent no-party councillors uniting against “the CLP crowd”, then this represents an ironic twist in Australia’s political landscape since Federation, albeit at the lowest local council level of government.
At Federation in 1901, the Parliament had only one party – the Labour party. The other members were independents simply repesenting their constituencies of the little people, people in remote communities, small businesses et al.
Realising that Labour would always retain power in this situation, the independents got together, gradually morphing into the Liberal Party under Menzies, then the CLP.
Labour was Americanised in 1913 when its leader King O’Malley – a Yank – changed the spelling to the American way, dropping the ‘u’.
It has stayed that way, despite Labor’s history of animosity to the US post-WW2.
One hundred years on and now in Alice there are apparently now no Laborites on council, just a bunch of no name Independents coming together against the CLP monolith.
Who needs Hollywood or Bollywood when we have our very own political melodramatic entertainment with its amusing and bemusing twists and turns, playing out right before our very eyes. We have it all.
John Bell Also Commented
Town Council riven by conflict, lack of leadership
@ Smithy. If Jacinta does not have the answers to divisive social questions confronting the community, then it is quite obvious from the mess Alice is in right now that no one else on council has any answers either.
Regardless of her perceived merits or shortcomings, the vile personal abuse aimed at her recently on social media is quite shocking and very disturbing.
Smithy, are you saying that it is Jacinta’s fault that she is copping this vile abuse, a lot of which is coming from males from different ethnic backgrounds?
No female, regardless of race, ethnic background or political opinion should be subjected to such vile, cowardly and frightening threats of physical and sexual attack.
It is worrying in the extreme to justify it with the rationalisation that such verbal attacks are common in Alice. If such postings on Facebook or Twitter were to occur against certain young women or councillors of politicians down here in the Big Smoke, it would be prime time news and police action would be taken.
It is very sad that Alice appears so conditioned to such attacks now that blaming the victim is acceptable.
Town Council riven by conflict, lack of leadership
Can’t wait for Prime Minister Shorten and his union frontbencher backbencher entourage to hit town after the next Federal election.
If this circus is any indication, the Council Labor lads and girls will probably declare a public holiday and bedeck Todd Street with a carpet of red roses.
However, for all of their silly shenanigans, Alice Councillors are Sunday School picnickers compared with the fruitcakes that infest my next door Darebin Council down here in Melbourne Town.
As an old Feddy, I ask fellow Feddy Mayor Damo – is the aggro of the Perpetually Outraged worth it these days?
Recent Comments by John Bell
War on Iran must be prevented
Kieran. I would seriously invite you to my home suburb of West Heidelberg to introduce you to my Iraki refugee friend Danny (Daniel) who owns a Milk Bar in the Olympic Village Shops on Southern Road. Danny grew up in Saddam Hussein country as a member of the persecuted Christian community that traces its history back to Jesus Christ and beyond to the Assyrian agrarian empire. Danny will give you a fully informed political history of Iran’s Shiite designs on Irak and its people. And in the process, a very different view to that expressed by the protesters in the Alice.
Gunner demands council deal with Mayor’s ‘conflict of interest’
Interesting discussion.
A wider issue arising is the role of local council in the separation of powers in state and federal governance.
Section 73(2) shows how grey is the area of where local government sits, and sees itself as sitting in our governance structure.
The fact that the legal interpretation of “conflict of interest” does not encompass political interest is significant, I feel.
It appears to suggest that local council charter is being interpreted more and more to treat political aspiration as a given part of a councillor’s normal role.
Any councillor can assume his or her position on council is a legalised normal stepping stone to Parliament.
A review of local council charter should address the vexed issue of the evolving role of council duties from roads rates and rubbish collection. In the public interest.
No Medevac when climate disaster starts
The fact is that per capita head of population and national economy, Australia is taking up renewables at a rate 4 to 5 times faster than China, India, the EU, Japan or the US. Fact. And in our country that has banned nuclear power development.
Cr Melky: Mayor’s CLP candidacy, a risk for the council?
@ Curious: It is long established that local councils have become a stepping stone, the testing ground for budding state Parliament pollies.
The bigger issue is that councils around Australia are beginning to encroach more and more on the role of state government, becoming a wannabe mini parliament.
That is a real worry in a country that is already the most over-governed country in the western democratic world. More chiefs and wannabe chiefs than Indians.
Hermannsburg Mission: questions of survival
@ Jack: In 2010 I was fortunate to catch up with Gus Williams after many years.
Gus was an old friend, a fellow Feddy and a regular organiser of the Hermannsburg team to the Yuendumu Sports Weekend.
Gus talked about the school education troubles in the community. At length.
Gus held a particular view that would surprise white urban activists.
Gus reinforced for me that there were great benefits brought into the Ntaria community by the Strehlow family and the Lutheran missionaries.
To coin a saying, it is not all black and white when two different cultures inevitably come together and interact.
