Conflict of Interest
- Details
- Published on Tuesday, 23 August 2005 10:00
MEDIA RELEASE - ALLEGED BREACH OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT BY BRIMBANK MAYOR
Minister Candy Broad ignores repeated requests to investigate suspected Corruption
13 August 2005, Sunshine, Melbourne
The Sunshine Residents & Ratepayers Association (SunRRA) was astounded by the Local Government Minister, Candy Broad’s decision to sack all 9 Councillors from the Liberal dominated Glen Eira Council. The allegations that triggered the investigation that led to this dramatic decision related to inappropriate phone calls with a cost to ratepayers of approximately $12,000.
In Brimbank, where we have a Labor dominated Council, the Minister has refused to act, despite far more serious allegations.
At a Council meeting on 8 March 2005, the Brimbank Mayor, Natalie Suleyman voted to move the Albion Soccer club to Cairnlea Park. This decision also included a commitment by the Brimbank City Council to provide $650,000 to construct club facilities for this club.
In voting for this move, Councillor Suleyman did not disclose that her brother Mehmet Suleyman was a current committee member of the Albion Soccer Club, and her father Hakki Suleyman was the club’s public officer in 2000.
Despite the far greater financial implications of this decision, in comparison to the $12,000 in Glen Eira, the Minister has refused to conduct an investigation into this matter. Why?
Are they looking after their own in Brimbank?
Some of the facts surrounding this issue are:
1. The President of the Cairnlea Residents Association (Paul Aquilina) presented a petition of more than 700 signatures to Brimbank Council, requesting a review of this decision. He claims that the Albion Soccer club has no connection to Cairnlea, and that there was no consultation with residents and ratepayers regarding this decision. Effectively, this decision will result in outsiders (from another suburb) coming in and taking over the Cairnlea community’s public land.
2. No other sporting clubs were provided with an opportunity to be considered for this move and the generous funding associated with the move. Only the Albion Soccer Club was considered.
3. This story has been exposed in the local Media (Star Newspaper) through a series of stories by reporter Allon Lee.
4. Changes were made to the Albion Rovers Soccer club’s website sometime between 28 April 2005 and 10 June 2005 (after the vote in Council). Mehmet Suleyman was listed as a Committee of Management member on the club’s website, but his name was removed sometime between these dates.
5. One of our Committee Members highlighted this issue to the Minister in 2 letters dated 7 and 28 June.
6. The response to the letter, from the Minister’s Office (from Prue Digby, Executive Director) is lame and effectively claims that because the Mayor did not have a pecuniary interest in the Albion Soccer club, there was no ‘conflict of interest’ in her taking part in the vote to provide $650,000 to a soccer club, in which her brother was a committee member.
7. SunRRA compiled a comprehensive submission for the Minister, requesting intervention and an investigation into this matter, which was submitted on 5 July 2005. This submission had 29 Signatories, including the support of the Cairnlea Residents Association.
8. The response to SunRRA’s submission, from the Minister’s Office (again from Prue Digby, Executive Director) was again lame. Ms Digby, on the Minister’s behalf, in the letter again claims that because the Mayor did not have a pecuniary interest in the Albion Soccer club, there was no ‘conflict of interest’ in her taking part in the vote to provide $650,000 to a soccer club, in which her brother was a committee member. Ms Digby, went on to suggest that "these are issues for which the Council is best placed to address your concerns.
We are highly dissatisfied and baffled by the Minister’s failure to investigate this matter.
For further information contact SunRRA.
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