Gerald Lynch
Brimbank council will be a more open book in 2024.
Councillor Virginia Tachos rallied for greater transparency from councillors in the February 20 meeting, saying it is time for Brimbank council to align with many others in the state.
She raised two notice of motions calling for more transparency from all councillors, which were both supported by all councillors in attendance.
The first motion was that the council create a political party membership register which will be available on the council’s website.
She said a public register where the political party affiliation of each councillor is visible is an important step to promote good governance.
“Identifying these affiliations provides a relevant governance check, as I believe these affiliations may influence the decision making process and representation of community interest,” she said.
“I believe that the creation of this register will promote public transparency, and is in line with our code of conduct which is essential for building trust between our councillors and the community.”
Councillor Maria Kerr said one of her biggest beliefs in being a councillor is full transparency, I think it’s a great idea and fully support it.
Further, Cr Tachos has pushed for amendment to the council’s code of conduct with a motion in relation to removing binding caucus votes.
She said there must be a section in the council’s code of conduct to prohibit binding caucus voting.
“Caucus voting refers to a practice where councillors agree to vote together as a block, members commit to supporting majority decisions reached despite their personal beliefs or beliefs of their constituents,” she said.
“This creates an environment where councillors feel obligated to vote a certain way regardless of their own views, regardless of personal views or reflect their constituents.”
She leant on a recent supreme court ruling affecting Hobsons Bay council that outlined requirements for councillors to come into each meeting without any predetermined decisions on how they will vote on motions and reports.
It said that decisions should be made based on open and robust debate, and careful consideration.
Cr Tachos said changes to the code of conduct will remove the feeling of coercion.
