Thursday, 17 August 2023

Borough of Queenscliffe

Joe McCRACKEN (Western Victoria) (17:32): (412) My adjournment matter is to the Minister for Local Government, and it relates to the Borough of Queenscliffe and the community forum regarding the federal referendum around the Voice. The action that I seek is this: to seriously consider appointing a monitor to the Borough of Queenscliffe. The Borough of Queenscliffe announced in March this year, along with other councils, including the Geelong city council, that they would host public events for the Voice. Queenscliffe only invited supporters of the yes campaign, including an alleged journalist, Kerry O’Brien, who is reported to have fallen asleep at the event – so it was well worth the money! The event cost $4000 and included expenses like travel and accommodation for these speakers, some coming from Sydney.

The local ratepayers, many of them, are outraged. Ian Royce in particular was quoted as saying the spend was ‘outrageous’ and ‘utterly offensive’. He said that residents wanting to raise concerns with the council had been stonewalled – effectively they could not raise concerns. Others have said that the forum was an indoctrination session which has left locals filling hoodwinked. It is not the role of local government to be campaigning for one side or another on an issue which is a federal matter, let alone a state matter, particularly when there are massive, massive concerns in areas like planning, local roads, parks and gardens, having fair rates or, particularly in the Borough of Queenscliffe, coastal erosion. I would have thought these would be far higher order priorities than organising a community forum about the federal Voice.

David Limbrick: Stick to the roads and rubbish.

Joe McCRACKEN: Stick to roads, rates and rubbish – I could not agree with you more, Mr Limbrick. But I guess even if you are going to organise a forum, at least make it fair, at least make it balanced and at least make it unbiased and invite both sides, because that is what it should be. If you are going to have a genuine community conversation about it, be balanced. There was clearly no attempt at that. It is blatantly obvious that it is directed –

Bev McArthur: They refused to allow Sarah Henderson to speak.

Joe McCRACKEN: Mrs McArthur is quite right. They absolutely refused to have people who had a different opinion speak. Queenscliffe have clearly lost their way. I think the minister seriously needs to consider the future of Queenscliffe and consider appointing a monitor.