God has been unceremoniously dropped from Bass Coast Council meetings.
Credit: Creative Commons/Viktor Vasnetsov.
By John Coldebella
August 29, 2015
I commend our former MP Alan Brown for raising the topic of prayer time at council meetings. Having accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour, Mr Brown is acutely aware of the sacred gift Jesus left us in the Lord's Prayer, an invocation to his Heavenly Father whereby we may receive clarity of mind and purity of heart to assist us in every aspect of our lives.
Yet we must also remember the warnings and pitfalls surrounding prayer that Jesus bequeathed to us. Just as "the garment maketh not the man" so, too, the "prayer maketh not the council meeting". Jesus warned us about "vain repetitions" as well as "those who pay me service with their lips while their hearts are far from me."
August 29, 2015
I commend our former MP Alan Brown for raising the topic of prayer time at council meetings. Having accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour, Mr Brown is acutely aware of the sacred gift Jesus left us in the Lord's Prayer, an invocation to his Heavenly Father whereby we may receive clarity of mind and purity of heart to assist us in every aspect of our lives.
Yet we must also remember the warnings and pitfalls surrounding prayer that Jesus bequeathed to us. Just as "the garment maketh not the man" so, too, the "prayer maketh not the council meeting". Jesus warned us about "vain repetitions" as well as "those who pay me service with their lips while their hearts are far from me."
| Sadly, we are all aware of the number of clergy in prison for the most heinous crimes despite much prayer. Children in the Turana youth facility during the 1960s were raped at night and then required to pray with their rapists in the chapel next morning. In recent times, our politicians have also failed to meet community standards despite commencing work with a prayer. | "Any item which has been continuously on the council agendas in our region for well over 100 years is absolutely policy and you and your colleagues have taken a proactive decision to disregard history, policy and tradition and scrap the prayer." |
As someone who embraces the same Christian values as Mr Brown, it is my duty to remind him that, along with the promise of the resurrection and eternal life, Jesus taught love, compassion and forgiveness. He (or she) without sin is to cast the first stone, and we are advised to judge not lest we be judged. Mr Brown's most recent statements have been neither loving, compassionate nor forgiving.
His recent communiques to our local media sadden and disappoint me. After such an illustrious career, arguably unparalleled in this region since European settlement, he has continued to serve our community by raising concerns about the operations of our shire council. No-one welcomes rate increases, and anyone who remembers a handful of indoor staff running the old Borough of Wonthaggi is right to wonder where our money is going. Furthermore, it is honourable of Mr Brown to acknowledge our past elders and not so elderly in his concerns about our local cemetery. On top of this, who wouldn't like to make the amount of money asked by consultants?
Unfortunately, the most recent criticisms are beginning to sound repetitious, unfair and unkind. Like Michael Whelan, I believe Mr Brown could be more positive in his input. With all due respect, he is starting to sound like a grumpy old man.
I use the term "unfair" because while he has made several references to rate rises above the rate of inflation by the current and past councils, he is yet to make himself accountable for the same while he was a councillor and mayor. He owes us an explanation. Anyone with private health insurance knows that not all expenditure is bound by the rate of inflation. Prices of petrol, telephone charges and electricity seem to be based on the whims of the suppliers and market forces beyond anyone's control. Let us also remember the fire levy added to our rates in recent years.
It’s unfair to criticise our our councillors for the fact that they receive an allowance to conduct their duties. It is my understanding that such an allowance ($22,405 a year) was already in place when they applied for the position. Had Mr Brown been successful in his bid for a position on our council, would he have declined the allowance and used his own money instead? This is not a rhetorical question.
With regard to consultants and the money they charge, perhaps they are a necessary evil as well as a modern malaise. Modern councils have a difficult juggling act to perform in an increasingly complex world that is beset with the possibility of litigation at every turn. While it is true that a penny saved is a penny earned, and that they who hesitate are lost, it is also true that haste makes waste and it is always prudent to look before one leaps. As our Prime Minister Tony Abbott correctly pointed out in recent times, no-one is the repository of all information. Sometimes we have little choice but to conduct research and engage in consultation,and in doing so we may avoid costly mistakes and perhaps even more costly lawsuits. Our real problem here is our inability to control the fees that consultants charge.
I commend and thank the current crop of councillors for putting up their hands to serve their community. I think it unfair to continually denounce them for incompetence merely because most of them lack experience. This is where some mentoring would have been useful as well as honourable. By not offering the benefit of his experience, Mr. Brown is just as culpable for any misgivings he may have about their performance. There has been no evidence of shady deals or other serious indiscretions, and I have no reason to question their sincerity or goodwill. There was a time when Mr. Brown also lacked experience. Need I remind him of an episode from way back when a borough engineer unwittingly created controversy over how many units a local builder could place on a block of land?
With great respect to one of Wonthaggi's favourite sons who has tirelessly served his community, I was disappointed to read that Mr. Brown "felt sorry" for the small band of volunteers who are giving their time to better our local cemetery. There was a time when Mr. Brown would have led by example, shaming or inspiring many of us to fall in behind him. It has occurred to me that many unemployed people are required to offer their services to groups such as St. Vinnies and the Salvation Army in order to earn their payments as well as promoting healthy self esteem. I wonder if it would be possible to have some of our unemployed allocated to our existing cemetery volunteer group.
I exhort Mr Brown to return to his former self and and share his vision with us. I also invite all residents of Bass Coast to offer input to the running of our affairs. Could it also be time to consider parking meters in busy holiday towns such as Wonthaggi, Inverloch and Cowes as a means of revenue? People still flock to Melbourne despite the high cost of parking.
His recent communiques to our local media sadden and disappoint me. After such an illustrious career, arguably unparalleled in this region since European settlement, he has continued to serve our community by raising concerns about the operations of our shire council. No-one welcomes rate increases, and anyone who remembers a handful of indoor staff running the old Borough of Wonthaggi is right to wonder where our money is going. Furthermore, it is honourable of Mr Brown to acknowledge our past elders and not so elderly in his concerns about our local cemetery. On top of this, who wouldn't like to make the amount of money asked by consultants?
Unfortunately, the most recent criticisms are beginning to sound repetitious, unfair and unkind. Like Michael Whelan, I believe Mr Brown could be more positive in his input. With all due respect, he is starting to sound like a grumpy old man.
I use the term "unfair" because while he has made several references to rate rises above the rate of inflation by the current and past councils, he is yet to make himself accountable for the same while he was a councillor and mayor. He owes us an explanation. Anyone with private health insurance knows that not all expenditure is bound by the rate of inflation. Prices of petrol, telephone charges and electricity seem to be based on the whims of the suppliers and market forces beyond anyone's control. Let us also remember the fire levy added to our rates in recent years.
It’s unfair to criticise our our councillors for the fact that they receive an allowance to conduct their duties. It is my understanding that such an allowance ($22,405 a year) was already in place when they applied for the position. Had Mr Brown been successful in his bid for a position on our council, would he have declined the allowance and used his own money instead? This is not a rhetorical question.
With regard to consultants and the money they charge, perhaps they are a necessary evil as well as a modern malaise. Modern councils have a difficult juggling act to perform in an increasingly complex world that is beset with the possibility of litigation at every turn. While it is true that a penny saved is a penny earned, and that they who hesitate are lost, it is also true that haste makes waste and it is always prudent to look before one leaps. As our Prime Minister Tony Abbott correctly pointed out in recent times, no-one is the repository of all information. Sometimes we have little choice but to conduct research and engage in consultation,and in doing so we may avoid costly mistakes and perhaps even more costly lawsuits. Our real problem here is our inability to control the fees that consultants charge.
I commend and thank the current crop of councillors for putting up their hands to serve their community. I think it unfair to continually denounce them for incompetence merely because most of them lack experience. This is where some mentoring would have been useful as well as honourable. By not offering the benefit of his experience, Mr. Brown is just as culpable for any misgivings he may have about their performance. There has been no evidence of shady deals or other serious indiscretions, and I have no reason to question their sincerity or goodwill. There was a time when Mr. Brown also lacked experience. Need I remind him of an episode from way back when a borough engineer unwittingly created controversy over how many units a local builder could place on a block of land?
With great respect to one of Wonthaggi's favourite sons who has tirelessly served his community, I was disappointed to read that Mr. Brown "felt sorry" for the small band of volunteers who are giving their time to better our local cemetery. There was a time when Mr. Brown would have led by example, shaming or inspiring many of us to fall in behind him. It has occurred to me that many unemployed people are required to offer their services to groups such as St. Vinnies and the Salvation Army in order to earn their payments as well as promoting healthy self esteem. I wonder if it would be possible to have some of our unemployed allocated to our existing cemetery volunteer group.
I exhort Mr Brown to return to his former self and and share his vision with us. I also invite all residents of Bass Coast to offer input to the running of our affairs. Could it also be time to consider parking meters in busy holiday towns such as Wonthaggi, Inverloch and Cowes as a means of revenue? People still flock to Melbourne despite the high cost of parking.