From Manningham Leader – Anna Prytz
No gag on councillors: Free speech a winner as councillor’s bid to quieten colleagues is defeated
“PLANS to investigate a gag on Manningham councillors and ban public access to meetings has been quashed. At last Tuesday’s council meeting, Cr Graeme Macmillan’s motion to bar the public’s access to the recordings of meetings on the council’s website — and to pass bylaws prohibiting councillors publicly criticising each other — was defeated after a recision motion by Cr Stephen Mayne. The motion was carried. Executive manager of corporate services Steve Goldsworthy said it was illegal for a council to impose the proposed bylaws and penalties.
‘‘Local councils pass laws in accordance with the Local Government Act,’’ he said.
‘‘If your new laws diminish what is already available in law or in society, that is not legally acceptable.’’
Cr David Ellis said he was astonished the matter had gone so far.
‘‘This is a seriously deficient motion,’’ he said. ‘‘Now is the time for us to reaffirm our commitment to transparency.’’
In the absence of the three Koonung ward councillors who voted to investigate the proposed ban at last month’s meeting, only Cr Macmillan and Cr Meg Downie supported the motion.
Both denied the move was about restricting free speech, but rather about ending ‘‘bullying’’ by Cr Mayne.
‘‘Cr Mayne thinks it is fair game to criticise,’’ Cr Downie said. ‘‘This is harassment and bullying.’’ Cr Macmillan said Cr Mayne’s ‘‘cowardly’’ blog posts were unfair and unbalanced. Addressing Crs Macmillan and Downie, Cr Mayne vowed to continue to be an advocate of free speech.
‘‘I’ll defend your right to make the very aggressive, highly critical and attacking comments you’ve just made,’’ he said, adding he was ‘‘relieved the illegal and embarrassing motion is finally off the table.’’
The full audio recording of this motion is available at: http://www.manningham.vic.gov.au/maccwr/_assets/main/lib90295/13%20december%202011%20audio%20notices%20of%20motion%2014.1.mp3. Please note this is a large file and may take several minutes to download. It is however worth listening to!
Glen Eira Debates 
January 3, 2012 at 10:23 AM
Happy New Year to everyone!
Listening to the recording of the Manningham meeting confirms for me the importance of having council recordings available to the public. It’s not so much the quality of the debate that’s eyeopening here, but how different things are in other councils compared to what happens in Glen Eira. First there’s the recourse to a notice of motion by Stephen Mayne. There’s the possibility of recision which doesn’t even rate a mention in Glen Eira’s meeting procedures in the Local Law. Then there’s the ability to say things without the mayor clamping down and ruling people out of order all the time. Last but not least, there’s the ability for both residents and councillors to stop pretending that everyone gets on and that never a cross word should be spoken. That’s politics. In Glen Eira everyone has to be “nice” and pretend that they are a united group. This is a victory for free speech in my view. Residents should have access to every single word that comes out of the mouths of councillors in public meetings. They must be judged on what they say and how they vote and how well they represent their constituents. All of this is banned in Glen Eira and the few attempts to get real change happening has been derailed by the ruling clique.
January 3, 2012 at 6:20 PM
Imagine what would happen if residents actually got the chance to listen to the drivel that comes out of most councillors mouths and the rubbish that they accept from administration. All would be out on their ear!