Labor Party extends its control

SOUTH Eastern Metropolitan Region MP Inga Peulich has asked the Local Government Minister to ban political party caucus meetings in councils.
She highlighted in the parliament Australian Labor Party (ALP) rules that bound Labor endorsed councillors to vote along party lines in council debates.
Labor Party rules state that an ALP caucus shall be established in each municipal government area where two or more endorsed ALP candidates are councillors.
The caucus must meet before each council meeting and every member of caucus is obliged to attend.
One section of the rules says that caucus determines on matters such as appointments of senior council management positions.
But this rule is contrary to the Local Government Act because the council has the power only to select the chief executive.
The appointment of senior management staff is then entirely the prerogative of the chief executive.
The rules also say: “The vote of an absolute majority of caucus members shall bind all members of caucus and no member shall oppose in debate in council any matter which has been determined by caucus.”
Councils are further restrained by the growth in the number of councillors working as electorate officers for members of parliament.
This restricts the ability of councillors to be effective community representatives and to argue strongly for services and financial support from a government.
Officers filling a dual role will almost certainly follow the government policy and weaken any vote based on community needs.
The caucus also decides who shall move and second motions to be introduced or coming before the council that arise from caucus decisions. Virtually all councils that are Labor dominated are being either run or heavily influenced by State Government wishes and not the wishes of ratepayers and residents.