It was a marathon meeting tonight which we will report upon in detail in the coming days. However Glen Eira continues to be run by the Newton acolytes and hanger-ons such as Lobo and Sounness. There is no prize for guessing who voted against council finally embracing what every other council in the state has such as Notice of Motion. Democratic process and respect for community views are dead in Glen Eira thanks to Lipshutz, Hyams, Esakoff, Okotel, Lobo and Sounness who voted against Delahunty’s motion. Her support came from Magee and Pilling.
Delahunty’s attempts to right the wrongs of the Right of Reply, as well as engendering public participation into Public Questions also failed. Lipshutz even attempted to have an amendment which called for public questions NOT to be recorded in the minutes. This fortunately did not get up.
But perhaps the most telling and reprehensible action by Hyams Lipshutz and Esakoff occurred early on when Delahunty asked for an extension of time to deliver her argument. These three voted against the time extension. Unheard of and definitely the first time in living memory that anyone has sunk so low as to deny the mover of a motion the opportunity to present their reasoning in full.
Glen Eira Debates 
September 4, 2013 at 8:05 AM
An absolute disgrace – we already Know that Hyams, Esakoff and Lipshutz are supporters of the administration rather than the residents (just haven’t worked out what their pay back is yet) and that Lobo votes with who ever has the numbers rather than on the merits of the issue. On the other hand Okotel and Souness, despite election promises and the high hopes of residents, are showing themselves to be a completed waste of space – within one month of election they towed the administrative line (12 stories for Carnegie) and have continued to so, culminating in this complete travesty.
Time extensions are granted all the time – it usually a very simple matter that generally occurs during a Councillor’s argument. It constitutes a 20 second interruption that is more a “flip” rather than a “show” of hands. Betcha Delahunty won’t make the same mistake again – better to apologize and beg forgiveness than ask for permission.
It is an absolute travesty that Glen Eira is the only Council that does not have a “Notice of Motion” and that no Councillor can raise and discuss an issue at a Council Meeting that is not included on the agenda (tightly controlled by the CEO). The issue doesn’t have to resolved at that meeting, it can be delayed until the next meeting and a report requested – it still requires a majority vote to be passed – so what’s the problem!!!. Other Council’s manage the “Notice of Motion” – yet this Council can’t and you have to wonder why.
Goodonya Delahunty for trying and Pilling and Magee for supporting her.
Shame on the others, while I didn’t expect anything more from Hyams, Esakoff, Lipshutz and Lobo, particular shame is deservedly directed at Souness and Okotel. Like Lobo the merits of an issue are the least of their concerns – they took even less time than Lobo did to learn it.