Wednesday, 1 April 2026

 John LISTER (Werribee) (14:47): (1605) My question is for the Minister for Local Government. How can Local Government Victoria restore confidence in the governance of Wyndham City Council? Since I was elected last year I have raised concerns, both publicly and privately, regarding councillor conduct. Residents have continued to raise concerns to me about the conduct of various councillors and decisions made by council that are perceived to favour one part of the municipality over others. I have also called for the return of state government funding for projects that council does not deliver. The partisan response at the time from the then mayor was extraordinary to say the least. There was a recent suspension of another former mayor only last month, using the Labor government’s new rules around councillor conduct. We now face another crisis of confidence, with the current mayor Preet Singh revealed to have provided a good character reference to a person found guilty of child abuse. This Labor government has committed to banning these sorts of references in court. Many constituents have contacted me expressing their desire that he step down, not just step aside.