(Cr Des Mutton who has had to be reminded from the Public Gallery about his multiple nepotistic COIs re the Main Corner and/or his son Lachlan before he leaves the room, but this time was talking about his 'grandson' being involved with this Tender process, whilst leaving voluntarily-Ed)...fair enough, that is all a bit unusual, but he might have meant 'son' or something, and it's no surprise to regular Council attendees who write this blog...(so you then-Ed)...everybody who's important, yes...(impotent more like it-Ed)...pardon what?...(just sayin', important yes, but what about Des?-Ed)...yeahhh, ok, it is a recent occurrence that Councillors are being so specific about their COIs...
(It's almost like someone's been calling them on these multiple COIs and their related conduct-Ed)...almost...(say, via a blog or something-Ed)...alright, via a blog or something...(very funny-Ed)... actually I do think that may well be part of it, but only part, I think they're all just trying to appear professional and appropriate for the Local Government Elections in November...(anyway, they're trying very hard to give the impression of professionalism and probity where none exists-Ed)...which segues beautifully into Cr Allen 'Is The Key' Smith also leaving because he too had some COI re some company...and that is an unusual occurrence...
I respectfully submit that not one single Council decision in at least the last 2 years, particularly re Liquor Licensing, is a valid decision because of the failure of Cr Smith to leave the Chamber...if I'm wrong I'm wrong, but I understand that Cr Smith in his position as Chair of the Mt Gambier Racing Club was responsible for the associated Liquor License at said premises...(a position he recently 'resigned' from-Ed)...resigned, was shoved from because his term has been an unmitigated disaster, whatevs...
Apologies that I don't know the exact details of the Racing Clubs specific Liquor License, perhaps it's held by the SA Racing Board or some such and therefore Cr Smith is golden...however, it is my understanding that Cr Smith is/was 'responsible' as such for that License/premises/etc, and therefore he had a COI on any issue re Liquor Licenses and therefore should not have participated in those votes...(hang on, the Race Club is also a function facility, yeah? used outside of race meetings?-Ed)...um, yeah...(has he ever left the Chamber re, for example, the Main Corner leases/contracts/whatevs and the commercial function facility that Council built there with ratepayers money?-Ed)...don't think so...
(Let me help...at the infamous Night of the No Quorum as covered in previous posts, when there were 2 absentees and so many COIs re the Main Corner, namely Mayor Steve Perryman, and Crs Andrew Lee and Biddie (Tietz) Shearing that there weren't enough Councillors left in the Chamber to actually vote-Ed)...that's right, because Cr Mutton also stepped out after I pointed it out to Acting Mayor Byron Harfield that he (Des) also had a minor COI because his son was the leasee...(indeed, and then on a second Main Corner issue held during the 'Public Excluded' section at the end Biddie Shearing didn't leave the Chamber-Ed)...which meant that vote was/is 'irregular' and/or 'unconstitutional' or whatevs it's called...
(And did the Racing Club Manager Allen Smith leave the Chamber for either vote?-Ed)...no, no he didn't...so both of those lease issues were arguably 'not legal' in the procedural sense...(at the very least not appropriate...but we're reminiscently digressionalising-Ed)...yeah, but actually not really because it segues quite well from my politely outspoken comments that evening, from there through the paint-peeling tirade I unloaded on Rory McEwen back in March, to what it is I've been alluding to with references to my back causing affront...(oh at last-Ed)...but first read this...(no no n
I have previously posted my displeasure at usage of the phrasage 'it takes a village to raise a child' and in particular it's usage by Mt Gambier City Council given that they are effectively or actually complicit in the St Martins Lutheran School Child Abuse Cover-up, so when this issue finally came up at the end of the evening I'd had an hour to think about it and that was more than enough...
CEO Mark McShane was on his feet sprouting forth about this Charter and then started in on something about the shreckin' Rail Lands and the great nature playground or something and that's when I got up, picked up my briefcase/laptop bag, and quietly walked out...and I got as far as the table just outside the Chamber doors and put my stuff on it to pack away my pad and pen and then found myself just standing there...just standing there with my back directly to the CEO and Mayor...(it's a Thang don't ya' know?-Ed)...it surely is, it's a passively aggressive protest indicating absolute contempt...here's my back, talk to that jack...
Not A Word Of A Lie: I did not plan this in anyway, it just happened, but I found myself standing there legs akimbo, arms crossed, and there in the glass partitioning across the room, clear reflections of Stevo and Marko looking out the door directly at my back...given the well lit room I reckon they could see my reflection as clearly as I could them...and so there I stood and did I imagine it or was there a crack in the voice, did the tone in the room change markedly...
Again, I didn't plan this, but it is a very traditional protest, and in a context where one cannot speak, it proved almost perfect...absolutely silent absolute contempt perfectly framed by the Ivory Towers own portal...(dude, you couldn't plan that shizzle...and that's one broad back too, probably filled the whole doorway-Ed)...a very broad back with a very loud message written on it, metaphorically speaking...and I made my point...
And because it was the last item before 'Public Exclusion' I was still stood there as the several publics and a certain The Border Watch reporter filed out and the doors were shut, and thus they all realised that I'd been there that whole short time...I'm not sure exactly what this 'protest' achieved other than discomfort in the moment, but it's a moment I'll quietly cherish for it's organic perfection...
Tomorrow: Ploughing Ahead
Toward gourd knows where...(enough with the relentless optimism already-Ed)...
I am Nick Fletcher and this is my blog...cheers amd laters...
No comments:
Post a Comment