Exit Bradford

FORMER Casey mayor and Mayfield Ward councillor Kevin Bradford has chosen his part-time council role over his far more lucrative full-time job in the office of Narre Warren North Labor MP Luke Donnellan.
Cr Bradford is one of the first councillors in the state to make a forced choice between the two roles, following recommendations from the State Ombudsman’s investigation of Brimbank Council.
Another Casey councillor, Edrington Ward’s Daniel Mulino, is employed at the electorate office of Labor MP Jacinta Collins, and will also have to choose between his council role and day job.
In both cases, the pay for the electorate officer’s position is believed to be more than twice as lucrative as the council allowance of approximately $20,000 per year.
In a media release, Cr Bradford said he had been aware that the decision would have to be made.
“In light of proposed legislation the State Government was intending to introduce, I have merely made this decision on my own terms,’’ he said.
“I may not agree with these proposed legislative changes, but I respect the government’s right to introduce such laws.”
Cr Bradford had worked in Mr Donnellan’s office for the last three years.
He said he would now focus on his role as a councillor, and planned future tertiary studies. He later declined to make any further comment.
Mr Donnellan told the Gazette he was disappointed with Cr Bradford’s resignation last Friday, saying he did however understand the reasons for the decision.
Cr Bradford’s departure from his electorate officer role follows submissions to the Ombudsman suggesting interference by Mr Donnellan in local government.
The Narre Warren North MP, who is parliamentary secretary to the Premier, has used Freedom of Information and VCAT to obtain in-camera documents from Casey Council.
Cr Bradford’s exit from the electorate office last week is the latest turn in a two-year saga of officially documented bullying and disruption at the council.
Submissions to the Ombudsman claim an attempt to unseat chief executive Mike Tyler, and allege bullying of Janet Halsall, herself a former electorate officer for Labor MP Judith Graley.
Speaking at last week’s council meeting, Cr Bradford refuted statements by Ms Halsall, published in the Berwick News in May, that Casey was “worse than Brimbank”.
The Ombudsman in May found political interference at Brimbank Council, and is believed to have been investigating Casey.
“I can see nothing in the Brimbank report that comes close to the extent of bullying at Casey during my mayoral term and the extent of efforts to destroy good governance,” Ms Halsall said.
At the council meeting last week, Cr Bradford called the claim an attack on himself and council.
“This is an attempt to reiterate cheap statements to gain cheap media attention,” he said.
He told mayor Geoff Ablett that councillors were only as good as their leaders.
“Council has no resemblance to Brimbank,” he said. “This council is a far cry from last year’s because of your leadership, Mr Mayor.”