Council theatre

The fun and games at Brimbank Council's general meetings continue, with ratepayers upset to hear that the meeting scheduled for March 22 had been cancelled.

The cast of characters so far includes a highly-paid CEO who has difficulty managing a flagpole, a group of councillors and senior management who can't answer one question between them, and a mayor who believes she can add dignity to the occasion by wearing mayoral robes.

Mayor Natalie Suleyman (with photo) sprang into action and denied there was anything sinister behind the cancellation (the Star, 22.3.05), adding that it was not strange that an $80 million "vibrant" organisation (I think she means the council - ed) would not have enough items on the agenda.

Brimbank Council? Not enough items on the agenda?? Not strange??? She must be joking. Looking around at the state of their municipality, Brimbank ratepayers will be wondering what all these people actually DO with their time...

------

Council theatre
Brimbank Leader 15.3.05

I write to encourage all Brimbank residents and traders to attend at least one general council meeting.

I attended my second meeting on Tuesday night, chaired by mayor Natalie Suleyman.

In the 20 or so years of attending meetings in both professional and community capacities, I have never seen such an unprofessional display and I am appalled by the behaviour of some of these people.

Mayor Suleyman pulled faces and whispered behind her hand to the CEO while other councillors were talking. She treated the visitors like we were kindergarten students. Cr Jessica Minutoli thumped the table to show us her passion for the debate, which was debatable. Cr Minutoli was outshone by Cr Margaret Guidice, who spoke professionally and passionately about an issue in her ward - she seemed to care about what happens in her community.

Mayor Suleyman and Cr Minutoli et al must have thought their acting was better than councillors Lisa North, Guidice and Sam Tabban because they kept trying to talk over the top of them.

Deb Howell
Sunshine

-----

Childish antics a disgrace
Brimbank Leader, 15.03.05

What kind of councillors have we got? At the council meeting on Tuesday, March 8, I was disgusted by the childish antics of Brimbank councillors, led by Natalie Suleyman.

Her prima donna attitude towards council members whom she ignored when they were speaking so she could carry on conversations with CEO Marilyn Duncan, her bullying of an elderly female ratepayer, is most certainly an aberration that should be addressed, and her pouting and posing at public question time when she constantly repeated "I'll take that on notice."

I would like to point out to Natalie Suleyman that she is an elected person. Her duty is to represent her constituents in a fair and honest manner.

As mayor, her job is to manage Brimbank, not sit posing in her robes while the quality of life of the average ratepayer is eroded by excessive rates and charges, sub-standard management and services.

Terry Clitheroe
Sunshine

{mos_sb_discuss:2}