None of our business…

NO one at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court was surprised when a supermarket declined an offer to return a pair of shoplifted socks.
They were recovered from the shoplifter’s feet along with a haul valued at $40, nabbed following drinks for his birthday.
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A LAWYER was lightly mocked at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court last week after she said an interpreter had not been booked because of a “communication breakdown”.
“There’s a certain irony in that,” Magistrate Gerard Bryant drily observed.
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THE Journal was surprised to see its front page story from last week’s edition being touted as a “Melbourne exclusive” to A Current Affair’s Tuesday night program.
A version of the story on a Noble Park drink-driver had also appeared in Star’s Berwick News publication the previous Thursday.
It left us wondering just what constitutes an “exclusive” these days …
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A REQUEST for council-appointed community police officers was heard at last week’s City of Greater Dandenong meeting – and promptly dismissed.
A Keysborough resident suggested their presence would bring a “sense of safety for all”.
But council director Jody Bosman said tight legislation surrounded policing and the plan would be “virtually impossible” to implement.
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WHAT’S the difference between “only an administrative change” and “essentially an administrative change”?
That was the question at Monday night’s council meeting during a planning query.
Either way, the discussion brought the call of “spin doctors!” from the gallery.
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“I HOPE Cr Sampey forgives my Italian,” Cr Matthew Kirwan said at Monday night’s council meeting before delivering an Italian phrase.
She didn’t, and promptly corrected his pronunciation.
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COUNCILLOR Heang Tak couldn’t find the words to describe his reluctance to support one motion at Monday night’s council meeting.
“I don’t want to put my hand up and find myself in the… I don’t want to say it,” he said.
That’s OK, Cr Tak – I think we all know how that sentence ends.
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WE BET Cr Sean O’Reilly will pay more attention to his emails from now on, following a dressing down from Cr Maria Sampey on Monday night.
When he asked about her motion to investigate steam weed killing she told him she’d sent an email to all councillors, suggested it contained the answers he was after and asked if he’d received it.
“Probably,” he sheepishly replied.
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MAYOR Angela Long was reluctant to hand over an award to council to CEO John Bennie on Monday night after he earlier this year shocked her by pretending to drop a similar token.
“I’ll leave it here because Mr Bennie usually drops them,” she said to a few giggles.
Cr Sampey was heard to sarcastically remark: “Do you think she hurt his feelings?”
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FOLLOWING a 30-minute, 13-question marathon from Cr Matthew Kirwan on Monday night, one member of the public pondered whether councillors would be better off speaking directly with council department heads at other times.
What do you think? Should every councillor question be aired during public meetings? Email journal@starnewsgroup.com.au.