A change to Whittlesea’s governance rules is “suffocating democracy”, according to one councillor.
During the 18 November council meeting, councillors voted on a number of changes to its governance rules, with most the changes revolving around speaking times afforded to councillors during meetings.
Councillors also changed how it handles notices of motion from councillors, requiring a notice of motion to be signed by one-third councillors, instead of just one. Recission motions will also need to be signed by one-third of councillors, up from three.
Council’s office of council and CEO executive manager, Jacinta Stevens, told the meeting the changes were in response to the Commission of Inquiry into council and reports from monitors overseeing other councils, including Brimbank, Moonee Valley and Geelong, which recommended governance changes to how those councils deal with notices of motion.
But Cr Aidan McLindon – who returned from his six-month suspension last month – said he did not believe the Commission of Inquiry report had suggested the council should be looking at its notice of motion process. He moved that council did not amended the notice of motion rules.
He said there was talk the state government planned to introduce statewide legislation on the issue next year.
“We are pre-empting something that may or may not happen,” Cr McLindon said.
“I don’t think we are in a position … where we should all of a sudden think we should go off on our own tangent.”
Cr McLindon said notices of motions were one of the few channels councillors had to put an issue on the table and said he feared the changes would mean minority groups of people “who do not have the will of more than two councillors” would be unable to have their issues raised in the chamber.
“I think by strengthening [the governance rules], we are suffocating democracy,” he said,
Cr Michael Labrador also opposed the changes to notices of motion, warning it would “hamstring” councillors’ ability to raise an issue.
Cr McLindon’s bid to stave off changes to notices of motion was defeated after Crs Lawrie Cox, Blair Colwell, Deb Gunn, Martin Taylor and Jarrod Lappin voted against it, while Cr Daniela Zinni abstained from voting, which is considered to be a negative vote.
Residents can have their say on the changes until 2 December.
Details: https://engage.whittlesea.vic.gov.au/governance25
