By CASEY NEILL
“IT’S all about personality, isn’t it? They’re ignoring legal advice!”
This was the claim from an irate councillor Maria Sampey at Monday night’s City of Greater Dandenong council meeting.
A shrieking tirade from the Silverleaf Ward representative followed the five votes to four defeat of a notice of motion regarding Dandenong Market meetings.
So incensed was Cr Sampey that she returned to the issue during councillor question time.
“What is the implication of voting against legal advice … from a top firm in Melbourne?” she said.
Cr John Kelly called a point of order, that the matter had already been debated and decided.
“We know you don’t like me, John,” Cr Sampey shouted.
Mayor Angela Long agreed with Cr Kelly.
“A decision has already been made,” she sternly told Cr Sampey.
“We don’t always have to follow legal advice. It’s advice, not an order.”
But Cr Sampey continued.
“Well it’s obvious you don’t understand legal advice and you’ve got others to vote along with you,” she said.
“You need to vote not on personality. You need to be a good mayor.”
She badgered councillors who voted against the motion after the meeting and loudly told CEO John Bennie what she thought of the decision in no uncertain terms.
Cr Sampey represents the council in a non-voting capacity at market board meetings and Cr Matthew Kirwan attends in her absence.
He presented a motion asking the board, established last October to run the market independently from the council, to supply him with the agenda and minutes from each meeting to ensure he was prepared to fill Cr Sampey’s shoes at short notice.
The motion also asked that the board invite the council representatives to attend the meetings.
Cr Kirwan said the “carefully-worded” motion wasn’t about reducing the board’s independence.
“It’s just to get the information I want to do my job,” he said.
Cr Peter Brown said the council had a “right of participation”.
“For effective participation you need the agenda and attachments and minutes,” he said.
But Cr John Kelly said the council needed to give the board space.
“We have professional people running the market,” he said.
“Let’s have some trust in their ability to run the market.”
Cr Sean O’Reilly said he could support the motion and concur with Cr Kelly.
“Why can’t the alternate delegate have the agenda minutes of the meeting?” he said.
“That’s what it comes down to.”
Cr Roz Blades said the council should wait and let the board settle in.
“We know that they’re going to communicate,” she said.
“I think this notice of motion is a bit premature.”
