We urge all readers to pay careful attention to the various Records of Assembly and the range of topics that are discussed behind closed doors, in secret, and which never seem to make it into the council chamber. The Pools Steering Committee Meeting Minutes is of the same ilk. For example: for months and months now Cr. Lipshutz has been spruiking how wonderfully well GESAC is going – apart from rain delays it seems. Only at the last council meeting was it disclosed that tiling was somewhat behind schedule. Now we have mention of ‘liquidated damages’. According to Wikipedia, the definition of this term is:
“Liquidated damages (also referred to as liquidated and ascertained damages) are damages whose amount the parties designate during the formation of a contract for the injured party to collect as compensation upon a specific breach (e.g., late performance).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquidated_damages
Do these damages apply to the tiling or are there other aspects of this extravaganza that are not going all that well? And how much are the ‘damages’ actually worth? Are we talking a paltry few thousand or do the figures run into hundreds of thousands – thereby signalling some major hiccup and placing many of Lipshutz’s early claims into the very doubtful basket. Of course, it would be too much to ask that council is upfront and fully forthcoming on these issues!
Tang also appears to have great difficulty in showing up to meetings – he missed the August 2nd August, 9th & the 16th August meetings!
Councillor Assembly for the 9th August includes the following: “Confidential – ‘contractual’, ‘legal advice’ and ‘may prejudice the Council or any other person’ which relates to GESAC. Cr Magee – access to two other legal opinions and his conversation with the Ombudsman. Section 3 of the Whistleblower Protection Act and S. 76D of the Local Government Act.”
Two things to notice: (1) more money is now being spent on lawyers and the GESAC allocations stuff ups and (2) the whistleblowers act does not enforce the stipulation of ‘confidential information’ whilst the Local Government Act does. So what has all this to do with Magee? Is he being read the riot act by Newton and Burke and accomplices over his support for the McKinnon basketballers? We can only speculate of course, since all of this is carried on behind closed doors. And again, we are expected to believe that NO DECISIONS are being made – only continual straw votes it would appear!
We do however discover that on the 23rd August there WAS a draft submission to the Ministerial planning Review – it even went to 8 pages. Again we ask: where is it? Why isn’t this public? Why do such important discussions and decisions which impact on the entire community only occur behind the closed doors of Assembly Meetings? If other councils can publish their submissions and have councillors debate the drafts, then the question must be asked as to why Glen Eira is again the odd man out?
Last but not least there is again an ‘OH &S’ matter where Penhalluriack leaves the room. We can only assume that this is again related to Newton’s bullying charges. Oh what wonderful games are played out in these meetings and how little the public is informed as to what is really going on and how their monies are being spent.
Glen Eira Debates 
September 17, 2011 at 10:22 AM
All very very good question raised here.
Maaybe it time for the councillors to read the riot act to Newton and Burke
September 17, 2011 at 12:26 PM
Assemblies are legally prohibited from making decisions. Whether or not they are formal decisions is irrelevant because everything is clearly orchestrated in these meetings. What happens in public has already been determined and the gallery is there to witness the official vote. The real one has already taken place. Councillors have a lot to answer for as do the chief manipulators of the entire process.
September 17, 2011 at 6:50 PM
It has always worked like this and does in most Councils. They are running a level of Government not a tennis club. If you were on the Council you would do exactly the same as you would come to understand how Government works. The rules around so called assemblies were introduced to get around the ALP councillors caucusing prior to Council meetings. They do it now but have an officed present. Makes it legitimate. Of cause they are all expected to tow the line when it comes to voting. This is the system that has always gone on. You won’t ever change it.
September 17, 2011 at 7:18 PM
Of course it will change – just get rid of Newton and Burke and it’s a whole new ball game.
September 17, 2011 at 6:10 PM
3 months down the track and they’re still mucking about with lawyers over gesac. Reckon we’re out of pocket about $10,000 by this stage. Funny how the auditor general didn’t pick up on this bit of incompetency.