by Cam Lucadou-Wells
A business person sueing Greater Dandenong Council over the ‘Slug Gate’ affair is now running to join its councillor ranks.
I Cook Foods director Ian Cook says that “it’s time” that the council got a “shake-up” as he goes head-to-head with Yarraman Ward incumbent Phillip Danh at next month’s council elections.
Cook’s platform is to be an independent voice to fight corruption and reduce council spending and rates.
“This is not just me on a personal campaign or vendetta, but to make sure that the council is free of corruption, that it is there for businesses and there for the employment of young people in Dandenong.
“It’s time that it got a shake-up.”
Cook – who ran second in Mulgrave during the 2022 state election and third in the 2023 state by-election, expects the Labor Party will “pull out all stops” to ensure he doesn’t win.
For his part, Cr Danh – an ALP member – says he’s running for the “public interest” not for “business and personal interests”.
“I’ve lived in Noble Park all of my life and I’m proud of my community.
“I was drawn to public service since I was young and being elected as a councillor has been the greatest privilege of my life.
“I’m not doing this for myself.”
The law student and former electorate officer for federal Labor MP Julian Hill won the seat in a by-election in March this year.
He now faces his second election campaign in six months – “a lot of election for one year,” he says.
Among his chief concerns are community safety, homelessness and cost of living.
Policing wasn’t a council matter, but safety could be improved with better outdoor lighting and more activity in shopping areas – a form of passive surveillance.
Cr Danh also will press for the council to retain its home aged-care services beyond 2027 – though he’s unable to formally vote due to a conflict of interest (a relation of his works in the service).
“I wouldn’t say it’s frustrating. The rules are there for a reason – integrity is important and I’ll always follow the legal advice.
“I can still spread awareness of that issue and hope that my council colleagues will agree.
“I do know there are hundreds of workers in that field that provide a magnificent service to our seniors, and hundreds more that rely on that service.”
Cook says he was inspired to run for council after councillors recently rebuffed his invitation to meet and resolve the Slug Gate case.
Instead, the council will appeal its unsuccessful bid at the Victorian Supreme Court to throw out the litigation.
“You’ve got councillors not making a decision about what the council is going to spend on legal costs.
“From what I’m told, the decision’s made by an unelected CEO and unelected lawyers.
“The CEO should work for the councillors, not the other way around.”
Cr Danh says there’s “nothing” that councillors can do to influence the process once the matter is before the courts.
Cook is sueing the council and two officers for alleged malicious prosecution and public misfeasance.
It follows his commercial catering company in Dandenong South being shut down by health authorities as part of an investigation into a listeria-infected patient’s death at Knox Private Hospital in 2019.
ICF and Cook were charged by the council with 96 food-safety offences that were later withdrawn.
As an experienced business owner, Cook was keen to “scrutinise” council budgets to ensure ratepayers got “best value”.
Cr Danh also said he was vigilant about council spending.
“The residents I represent work really, really hard. It’s their money that funds council rates and the council budget.”
Cook supports changing the process for mayoral elections.
Mayors should be popularly decided by the electorate for a term, not passed like a “roundabout” among Labor-majority councillors.
Raised in a Labor-voting family, Cook says he was instilled with the “Labor values” that are no longer followed by the political party.
Cr Danh, as the incumbent, says he takes “nothing for granted”.
“I love this community and have lived here all my life.”
