❓ Mr. Mubarakai questions the Minister for Local Government on how the Local Government Amendment (Suspension and Dismissal) Bill 2018 delivers on the government's commitment to Western Australian workers. The Minister responds by highlighting the government's achievements in local government reform and contrasting them with the previous government's record.
AnsweredQoN 883Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
AMENDMENT (SUSPENSION AND DISMISSAL) BILL 2018
883. Mr Y. MUBARAKAI to the Minister for Local Government:
I refer to the Local Government
Amendment (Suspension and Dismissal) Bill 2018 that passed Parliament last
week. Can the minister outline to the house how this delivers on the McGowan
Labor government's commitment to implement local government reforms
that deliver for all Western Australian workers?
AMENDMENT (SUSPENSION AND DISMISSAL) BILL 2018
883. Mr Y. MUBARAKAI to the Minister for Local Government:
I refer to the Local Government
Amendment (Suspension and Dismissal) Bill 2018 that passed Parliament last
week. Can the minister outline to the house how this delivers on the McGowan
Labor government's commitment to implement local government reforms
that deliver for all Western Australian workers?
AnswerView source ↗
I
thank the member for Jandakot for his question and also his support of strong,
efficient and effective local government.
I
am very pleased the bill passed, and I thank the other place for its support
last week of the suspension and dismissal bill. This is the latest in a raft of
reforms in local government. In fewer than two years the Auditor General's
bill passed the Parliament. That will now ensure the auditing of Western Australian
local governments by the Auditor General, and performance orders to be undertaken—a
reform achieved by this government. There was the signing of the agreement
between the Western Australian Local Government Association, Local Government
Professionals and the government at last year's WALGA convention. That,
again, underpinned our respect for the sector, and indeed our willingness to
work in collaboration and partnership to achieve reform in the local government
sector.
Additional to that, we also had the
reform of the Local Government Act. The first phase of that has been completed,
and in the next few weeks I will introduce a bill that will address issues
associated with universal training. That will mean that at the next local
government council elections in 2019, there will be an understanding that there
is a requirement for universal training of elected members. That legislation
will also address CEO performances, recruitment and gifts. We are now in the
middle of the very, very important second phase of the Local Government Act
reform process that is canvassing the sector and wider community on issues
associated with other important elements of a modern act.
In fewer than two years we have
achieved legislative reform, working in partnership with the sector. We have
implemented a range of important reforms in fewer than two years. To contrast,
of course, what this government has achieved in fewer than two years, we look
across at the other side's performance in eight and a half years. We
know that all that was left on reform was the carnage of the ill-fated attempt
to forcibly amalgamate councils in the metropolitan area that was of course
handled in a ham-fisted way.
We saw a cavalcade of local
government ministers from the other side—the former member for Bunbury,
the former member for now Darling Range and the former member for Wanneroo. A
cavalcade of local government ministers failed to do what the former Premier
was trying to do in forcibly amalgamating councils. There is no other record of
achievement by the Liberal government in its eight and half years, but in less
than two years we have achieved this. I hope those opposite will continue to
support the reform program and ensure that, at the end of that process, we end
up with modern local government legislation that underpins good governance,
transparency and a modern approach to how local government should function.
That is what I hope and that is what I think we are already delivering in less
than two years.
thank the member for Jandakot for his question and also his support of strong,
efficient and effective local government.
I
am very pleased the bill passed, and I thank the other place for its support
last week of the suspension and dismissal bill. This is the latest in a raft of
reforms in local government. In fewer than two years the Auditor General's
bill passed the Parliament. That will now ensure the auditing of Western Australian
local governments by the Auditor General, and performance orders to be undertaken—a
reform achieved by this government. There was the signing of the agreement
between the Western Australian Local Government Association, Local Government
Professionals and the government at last year's WALGA convention. That,
again, underpinned our respect for the sector, and indeed our willingness to
work in collaboration and partnership to achieve reform in the local government
sector.
Additional to that, we also had the
reform of the Local Government Act. The first phase of that has been completed,
and in the next few weeks I will introduce a bill that will address issues
associated with universal training. That will mean that at the next local
government council elections in 2019, there will be an understanding that there
is a requirement for universal training of elected members. That legislation
will also address CEO performances, recruitment and gifts. We are now in the
middle of the very, very important second phase of the Local Government Act
reform process that is canvassing the sector and wider community on issues
associated with other important elements of a modern act.
In fewer than two years we have
achieved legislative reform, working in partnership with the sector. We have
implemented a range of important reforms in fewer than two years. To contrast,
of course, what this government has achieved in fewer than two years, we look
across at the other side's performance in eight and a half years. We
know that all that was left on reform was the carnage of the ill-fated attempt
to forcibly amalgamate councils in the metropolitan area that was of course
handled in a ham-fisted way.
We saw a cavalcade of local
government ministers from the other side—the former member for Bunbury,
the former member for now Darling Range and the former member for Wanneroo. A
cavalcade of local government ministers failed to do what the former Premier
was trying to do in forcibly amalgamating councils. There is no other record of
achievement by the Liberal government in its eight and half years, but in less
than two years we have achieved this. I hope those opposite will continue to
support the reform program and ensure that, at the end of that process, we end
up with modern local government legislation that underpins good governance,
transparency and a modern approach to how local government should function.
That is what I hope and that is what I think we are already delivering in less
than two years.
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