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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2010-09-28 Daily Xml
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JACOBSEN, COUNCILLOR J.

Mr PENGILLY (Finniss) (15:45): I note with interest the comments made by the member for Ashford a few minutes ago on women in local government, and I will make some comments shortly which she may indeed support. For 17 years before I was elected to this place, I served my community in local government. I did then and I do now recognise the strong contribution of the men and women who serve their community in this way.

Very shortly, local government elections will be held. New councils will be formed in November this year. In a democracy, it is most important that people stand for election and serve their community. Successful candidates obtain little financial benefit for a job well done and rely on the gratitude of their ratepayers.

I want to turn now to the situation in the Burnside council, and I point out to the house that the remarks that follow are of a personal nature. Minister Gago has dismally failed—or been manipulated—in a pathetically inadequate response to the Burnside council issues, resulting in a mess.

The investigation into Burnside council has not yet been completed. Apparently, the report has already cost $1 million, it has gone on for 10 months over the allocated time and is increasingly looking unlikely to be released before the forthcoming local government elections. Why hold elections in Burnside council? That is a concern in itself and, frankly, I think that if the minister had appointed an investigator from local government a lot more time and money could have been saved, but that is quite beside the point.

The problem in Burnside is the same now as it was 10 or more years ago, and it should not take $1 million and months of investigation by a highly-skilled former auditor-general to work out what it is. The problem is and always has been largely councillor Jim Jacobsen. Councillor Jacobsen is well known in local government circles for his farcical behaviour and his mean-spirited and disruptive bullying tactics. He is particularly fond of heckling councillors and council staff until he gets his own way in and out of the council chamber.

When sanctioned, he refuses to leave the chamber and compromises the power of the Chair. If he does not get his own way, he usually throws a very public tantrum and labels his opposition 'corrupt' until they are forced to back down. When the development assessment panel regime was established by statute in this place, it was known colloquially as the 'Burnside act', and it has provided councillor Jacobsen with a forum for throwing very public dummy spits.

Councillor Jacobsen says that decisions made without his input are corrupt. Councillor Jacobsen says that Burnside DAP members themselves are corrupt. When these aggrieved people seek legal protection, he harangues the council repeatedly to have ratepayers fund his legal costs. He cannot even stand by his own accusations.

What has minister Gago done? Absolutely nothing. Indeed, his most recent public tantrum saw him facilitate the invasion of the council floor by Chelsea protestors, who proceeded to act in a very undignified, disruptive and totally inappropriate manner. It was appalling. It was all on TV, yet the irony is that most of the protestors probably had no idea that 10 years ago it was councillor Jacobsen himself who wanted to sell off Chelsea Theatre.

The council has gone so far as to install CCTV because of complaints from independent council staff about councillor Jacobsen's bullying tactics. He vigorously fought this measure at every meeting, knowing that his foul behaviour would be exposed to the voters who put him there, or perhaps he was worried that the CCTV would reveal him doing things that he should not have been doing.

What has minister Gago done? Nothing. That is not half of the boorish and improper behaviour so regularly engaged in by councillor Jacobsen as reported. He does not even deny leaking confidential documents at regular intervals, compromising his fellow councillors and hardworking staff at the council. It is no wonder that he spent his days creating problems for the people of Burnside for he appears not to have anything better to do.

However, the most distasteful aspect (and I reflect on the member for Ashford's comments) of councillor Jacobsen is the special dislike he appears to reserve for women. I am informed (reliably, of course) that he has consistently unleashed regular tirades against female members of the Burnside Council over a period of several years.

No: it should not take $1 million and inquiries lasting a year or more to establish that councillor Jacobsen is the primary impediment to good government being achieved in Burnside. What has the minister done? Absolutely nothing!

Local government is a great and noble institution, sullied by people such as councillor Jacobsen. If minister Gago was worth a pinch of salt, she should be able to remove such puerile people from councils under her jurisdiction. Minister Gago has failed absolutely dismally to ensure local government in Burnside has been able to run as it should be and act in the best interests of the people of Burnside. I am appalled at the behaviour.

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