Bottomline
Electors demand council poll
It was pleasing to know there was a good roll up at the Town Hall for the public meeting regarding the ratepayer rights on democracy in Council.
Those 200 will take the word out to the 200,000 in the Illawarra. Remember, it once only took one man and his 12 followers to get the word around.
The people of the Illawarra are not a push over.
The Local Government Act has a section that deals with expressions of community opinion, that a council can take a poll of electors for information and guidance on any matter, with one main point being the change of method of ordinary election of councillors for an area divided into wards. Any question can be asked, therefore there is no reason that a poll cannot be called by council to ask all electors to determine, do you want council elections,
1. When due? (September 2008)
2. In 18 months time?
3. In 4.5 years time?
But would the Council call for this poll? They can’t refuse for the administrators, acting as councillors, elected to that position by the State Government with all the responsibilities under the LGA must represent the interests of the residents and ratepayers.
Therefore, the residents and ratepayers only have to demand to have the poll called.
Alan Bond
Tourist numbers
Precisely! How did they count them? Furthermore, how do they calculate those figures on tourists' spending habits? Follow them from the train?
Fergie
Saving embarrassing questions
The news for a possible squeezing together of South Coast councils comes as no surprise. There has been previous Mercury articles and letters dealing with this idea from developer lobby groups. If there was one super council with only a quarter of councillors than before, then the developers wouldn’t have to make so many donations. Donations, which of course they do out of the kindness of their own hearts since they also donate to charities, which are tax deductible.
This obviously is the fact Premier Iemma successfully hid to save embarrassment to developers etc on Stateline when interviewed recently about political donations which he wants to end, period. It’s just that nobody asked why developers donate money to political parties.
The opposition have stated they don’t see anything wrong with these donations for fundraising since they are not in power. Obviously they are never going to be in power with that reasoning.
This is all to do with streamlining, like notifications on DAs at your neighbour’s home. This removes red tape and your right to privacy. A right to privacy which also nobody asked the Premier. To save embarrassment to the interviewer, the Premier never bothered to mention that fact.
Alan Bond Topline
Republic and Queen Elizabeth
I have no bets either way.
If something ain't broken, why fix it?
We may not be a Republic, and while Queen Elizabeth may be 'Queen of Aust’ (sic) in theory, she takes no part in the running of this country.
When she drops off the twig will be soon enough to worry about a Republic.
Fergie | 
