Crack The Code Of Conduct
Western Victoria MP Bev McArthur has called on the Minister for Local Government to produce state government guidance on councillor codes of conduct.
Mrs McArthur raised the issue in Parliament last week, in light of the Surf Coast Shire Council’s new councillor code of conduct which cost $10,000 to develop and suggests that councillors should never criticise the council organisation in public, speak to the media without notifying fellow councillors or have negative attitudes.
Councillor codes of conduct are required under the Local Government Act 2020.
Mrs McArthur said, “What concerns me is that councillor codes of conduct might become an instrument of control which unduly restricts councillors from discharging their duties as they see fit.”
“Councillor codes of conduct can be developed by officers and implemented by a majority vote. It is hardly impossible to imagine circumstances where those councillors in the majority and perhaps even the officers who depend on them for employment could use the codes to enforce conformity and suppress opposition.”
“The Surf Coast Shire document is clearly a restriction on the role of a councillor to execute their responsibilities on behalf of ratepayers.”
“If bad ideas are promulgated by officers or fellow councillors, surely they should be at least questioned, if not resisted.”
Mrs McArthur asked the Minister “to produce some guidance which makes clear that councillors cannot have these codes of conduct used against them by self-interested majorities who simply want to suppress criticism from elected colleagues.”
24 February 2021