[Greens-Media] Govt must move on before-meeting booze at ratepayers' expense

[David Shoebridge]

Govt must move on before-meeting booze at ratepayers' expense 
Media Release - 15 August 2012
 
The state government must now act, after a Sydney council this week voted to continue serving alcohol to councillors before council meetings, a waste of ratepayers' money which inevitably leads to poor decision-making according to Greens NSW Local Government spokesperson David Shoebridge. 
 
"Residents shouldn't be paying for their public representatives to drink on the job," Mr Shoebridge said.
 
The decision was made at Woollahra Council following a motion moved by Mr Shoebridge, who is also a Greens Councillor on Woollahra, seeking to prohibit alcohol being served prior to Council meetings. 
 
"Judgement is regarded as being one of the first mental capacities affected by alcohol.
 
"It is beyond belief that elected public representatives would drink alcohol before making important decisions regarding the local community, and then top it off by making their constituents foot the bill.
 
"It's 2012 not 1962, and no public official should be drinking before they make decisions on behalf of the community.
 
"Woollahra Deputy Mayor Toni Zeltzer used her casting vote to continue to allow councillors to drink at rate-payers expense before council meetings, along with Australian Securities and Investments Commission Chairman Greg Metcalf.
 
"The Local Government Act should be amended to prohibit local councils from serving alcohol to councillors and senior staff before council meetings.
 
"At the very least, the Local Government Code of Conduct should ban councillors from being given access to alcohol, at ratepayers' expense, prior to any council meeting.
 
"The Local Government Minister cannot keep shirking his responsibilities and turn a blind eye to the behaviour of local councils," Mr Shoebridge said. 
 
Media contact: Mark Riboldi 9230 3030 | 0433 753 376
 
 

 
David Shoebridge
Greens MP in the NSW Legislative Council
P: (02) 9230 3030 |Media: 0433 753 376 |T: @ShoebridgeMLC ( http://twitter.com/#!/shoebridgemlc )
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