The problem with Lipshutz, Hyams and Tang, as we see it, is that they continually forget that they are first and foremost meant to represent their constituents (us) and not pretend they are in a courtroom mouthing weasel words after weasel words. For ‘legal’ issues we as ratepayers fork out over $300,000 per year for a Corporate Counsel and her department! That is not the job of councillors!

Nothing brings this home more clearly than the continuing fiasco over public questions by Mr. Varvodic and the answers supplied by Lipshutz and Hyams. Readers will remember that the last set of minutes from the Recreation and Advisory Committee was in reality nothing more than a list of topics discussed. These were not minutes as per normal from this committee. To prove our point readers should look up the Council minutes of 8th June, 2010. There we have two sets which are expansive, and give a clear indication of what individuals actually said. So why are these latest minutes so bereft of detail?

Mr. Varvodic has sent us his public question which accuses Hyams, as chair of that committee, in censoring the minutes. Technically, this is legal – minutes must be approved by committee members. But is it ethical? Is this good governance? And more to the point, what is he hiding? How come previous minutes are so different in style, tone, and content?

Even more hypocritical is the fact that since Mr. Varvodic’s name was undoubtedly included as a topic of conversation, (ie. Topics were public questions, local law, Frisbee group) then he has every (ethical) right to full disclosure as to what may have been said about him. Hyams’ response to Mr. Varvodic is outrageous in its misrepresentations and deliberate obfuscation. Hyams has stated that:

‘The real and full minutes of the meeting were published at the last Council Meeting…The minutes of Council’s Advisory Committee Meetings record discussion points, motions, outcomes and resolutions. The Inspectorate accepted this approach in responding to Complaint 14”.

Nothing could be further from the truth! The actual minutes of that committee give no inkling as to ‘discussion points’. They are in fact pseudo ‘record of assembly’ minutes. It does Hyams no credit to indulge in semantics and legalese. It does Esakoff no credit to sign whatever nonsense is placed under her nose, and it does this Council as a whole no credit to be continually perceived as abrogating their duty to ensure that legal loopholes do not over-ride basic principles of sound and open government.

AN AFTERTHOUGHT!  We have always been fascinated by the fact that ‘governance’ features as one of the objectives within the Council Plan. No other council that we know of includes such an item in their Community or Council Plan. The fact that Glen Eira does is extraodinary. It simple does not belong there. It is a ‘given’ – legally and by all principles of good government. Readers should carefully examine what this council includes under its categories of ‘governance’ in the Annual Report (Page 80) to see what a mockery the whole exercise becomes. Under the heading ‘Governance’ we find mumbo jumbo about health and safety and the ‘awards’ the council received. Then of course, there are the mandatory statistics about how many calls were answered by the service desk.