Councillor in corruption probe

First with the news once again. Thank you Catherine

Well researched Catherine as usual. I hope there are more details BEFORE ratepayers are to vote in the upcoming election. Yvonne

Just like to let everybody know it is not me being investigated, that is the only comment I can and will make at this stage. Regards Brett

This is unfortunate and leads inevitably to speculation on the whole group. I can say that I have not seen any instance of corruption in my time and respect all of my colleagues on the Council. I am placed in a position of having to affirm my innocence and can further confirm that I was interstate at an Australian Coastal Council conference at the time the alleged incident occurred.

Thanks for bringing light to this important issue, Catherine. I hope we find out more before the election!

The timing does make the accusation very suspect, I hope we are not having state style politics intruding into our local government democratic process.

It has come to my attention that the Victorian Local Government Inspectorate is investigating alleged corruption allegations of a Bass Coast Councillor.
I would like to state that I am not under investigation by IBAC. I fully understand the legal rules and responsibilities of being a Councillor and as this is a legal matter and I am unable to make any further comments.

Just confirming that I am not under investigation by IBAC. I fully understand the legal rules that IBAC work under and it would be inappropriate and possibly unlawful for me to make any further comment.

I am aware that a media outlet has released comments that a Bass Coast Councillor is under investigation by IBAC.
I can confirm that I am not under investigation by IBAC.
I fully understand the legal structure that IBAC operates under.
It would be inappropriate and possibly unlawful for me to make any further comment.

Wow. Shades of Hillary in 2016. Given the alleged incident was at least a couple of years ago (if under previous CEO) why is it being made public now and by whom? If every Councillor confirms it is not them, the person involved will not remain anonymous for much longer, with all that implies for the election campaign. What a terrible way to end a hardworking Council which has achieved so much.

Hmmmm.. As a rate payer, there is a lot to answer, however, this would not be the first in the last 100yrs and won't be the last

The timing of this news is very unfortunate.
Especially since according to the Sentinal this complaint was lodged two years ago.
I sincerely hope that the Bass Coast elections doesn’t descend into gutter politics. All candidates should be judged on their promises and/or their track record in office.

I think the leaking of this information is regrettable and that on-sharing of it is irresponsible, given that the person is not able to be named.

This puts other councillors in a position of having to publicly state their non-involvement, as seen in above comments.

By omission, the person under investigation may end up being identified. This is not fair and not helpful to the investigation process.

This investigation has now been reported in detail in today's Age newspaper.
In view of upcoming council elections, the legal question is can a serving councilor continue to be on council or be nominated for re-election when subject to an IBAC investigation.
This needs urgent clarification by the bass Coast CEO Ali Wastie prior to election voting

Disgraceful action by who ever leaked this information. If it's right that this was in regard to "something that happened 2 years ago" even worse. If that proves to be right even more explanation by Bass Coast CEO is required or as suggested should go to IBAC.
Our Community overall has little trust in Bass Coast Council and the way it operates but for most of us there are more important things happening in our lives than local government issues. Great shame this election is being held at this time when a large number of rate payers can't even visit their property's in Bass Coast Area Yet the Bills keep flowing in!! After the "performance" of our 3 local Councillors in regard to the Public Meeting in San Remo on the Skate Park the 3 existing local councillors re standing for election are very lucky they are not standing against a number of candidates. Any other year they would
be.

I disagree with you Ian, that’s not a legal question that that needs to be answered because, surely the answer is already obvious.

Firstly, the allegations are unproven, and have not been yet tested by either IBAC or VLGI.

Secondly, the requirements of the Act will already be well known to Councillors, the CEO and council administrators.
Indeed, the Sentinel Times is now reporting that the matter was reported to IBAC back in October 2018, but went uninvestigated at the time. (Perhaps IBAC determined the matter did not merit further investigation?)

I have no doubt that the CEO and/or the Victorian Electoral Commission will have already made Cr. Larke aware as to what the legal requirements are. As Cr. Larke and other Councillors have publicly acknowledged, they are legally bound by confidentiality.

However it remains in the interests of justice that the following public questions to be put to CEO Ali Wastie:

• Will the CEO also refer to IBAC the allegation that a Councillor (or someone at council) leaked this sensitive and confidential information to the media?
• Will the CEO conduct an internal investigation into who at Council may have leaked this sensitive and confidential information to the media?
• Does the CEO have any idea already as to who at Council might have leaked this sensitive and confidential information to the media?

One question I’m certain that the community already knows the answer to is why the sneak(s) released this sensitive and confidential information to the media on the eve of Council elections.

Catherine I observe that you have censored out my questions to each of the comments published by the Councillors individually.

Do you wish to offer your readers the courtesy of an explanation of your action?.

Kevin, I haven't censored you. You've made your point. Once is enough.

Before some post readers lose track of the issue at stake here I would like to pose several questions. Firstly, was it appropriate for a councillor to allegedly attempt to buy votes from other councillors in order to wear the mayoral robes? Secondly, was it the right thing to do to refer this to the proper authorities? Thirdly, was it sensible to keep this from ratepayers and voters for two years? Finally, I would ask readers to please not "shoot the messenger".

I have had first-hand dealings with Councillor Les Larke over the past couple of years. I have found him to be a diligent and committed Councillor. In my experience, he has returned phone calls and taken the time to speak to me. He has provided considered responses to requests for information and feedback, where other Councillors have not even responded. In my dealings with him, he has also referred matters I have raised with Council Officers and ensured that matters were addressed.

Councillor Larke has been an advocate of greater transparency. I note that at the Council Meeting on 18 September 2019 Councillors Les Larke and Julian Brown were the only Councillors to vote against the Motion by Councillors Pamela Rothfield and Geoff Ellis to block the Bass Coast Shire Council Meeting Livestreaming Policy 2019. Councillors Stephen Fullarton, Clare Le Serve, Brett Tessari, Michael Whelan and Bruce Kent all supported the motion to block the livestreaming of Council meetings.

I totally agree with the questions Mark Robinson has raised.
I note that in the Australian High Court there is mandatory retirement of judges when they reach 70 years of age.
In my option this should also apply to all levels of government in order to reduce the likelihood of extraordinary decisions.
Cheers

I agree the timing of leaking this information is political, and indicative of dirty politics. The Councillors who have let us know it wasn't them, I feel, were forced to declare their innocence. Overall I find the BCC progressive, trying hard to cover issues of human rights, the environment and local infrastructure.

Catherine, I see that your censorship of my posts is increasing.
Would you be so kind as to offer your readers and myself the courtesy of an explanation for your censorship actions?

There are many things I have come to like about the Bass Coast Post since its inception eight years ago, but three stand out.

1. The number of people in our community with whom I have become acquainted through reading their articles and comments. Many of these I have not met physically, yet I feel I know them.

2. The standard that requires contributions to be made in a civil, respectful and non-defamatory manner. This is not an impediment to expressing ourselves passionately but it obliges us to express ourselves in a mature and responsible fashion befitting a civil society.

3. Every article is accompanied by the name of the person who wrote it.

Keep up the good work, Catherine, and thank you to all the contributors, including the Councillors, who have used this forum to keep us informed and to share their impressions and experiences of civic service.

Good afternoon Catherine.



I hope this message finds you in good health.
Perhaps fortunately for both of us I, this will be my final correspondence to both you and your inappropriately named online blog.
In 2016 I quickly realised that you, as the sole editor of your blog, are far from balanced and impartial in your editorial approach, and that instead your approach and views are biased and partisan.
Your recent censorship actions, whereby you removed and blocked my comments to your blog, prove beyond doubt that you will not allow opinions and comments from community members who might hold a viewpoint that does not sufficiently align to your own.
You’ve made no attempt to explain the reasons for your ongoing censorship of my comments, but your reasons are quite clear to me, as I previously mentioned.
In concluding this brief message to you, I suggest that you might reflect on amending the opening banner claim on your blog to read as follows . . .
The Bass Coast Post is an online magazine by and for residents of Bass Coast. Our readers are also our writers. Comments and other contributions are only welcome where they serve to further the editor’s personal bias.
Farewell Catherine.
Sincerely,
Kevin G.

Catherine, it’s interesting that Kevin Griffin should accuse others of censorship. I would like to give you and your readers just a few snippets of background on him. In the lead-up to the 2016 election, Mr Griffin created and ran the Bass Coast Residents & Ratepayers Association as a political organisation to throw out the council of which I was a member. The Sentinel Times ran almost weekly articles ridiculing the council, often based on demonstrably false claims about council finances by Mr Griffin and his associate, Les Larke. The Sentinel Times declined to publish spreadsheets and other evidence that my council had actually turned the finances of Bass Coast Shire around, trebling the proportion of rates going into capital works. Nor would Mr Griffin relay a basic graph demonstrating the council’s achievements to the Ratepayers Association members. Les Larke was a direct beneficiary of this misinformation campaign as he was the number 1 pick on the BCRRA ticket and I was number 9 (last). The BCRRA campaigned against the sitting councillors in almost every ward, with predictable results.

I would like to point out here that the Ratepayers Association no longer operates in such a political fashion, and that Mr Griffin is no longer the president.

Of the current allegations against Mr Larke I can only say that the three witnesses, being two Mayors and a councillor not standing against Mr Larke, would seem weight enough for IBAC to investigate.

Yours as another former Mayor,