UPDATED ERWIN CHLANDA reports
The town council held a secret meeting at 5pm yesterday to discuss a letter from Mayor Matt Paterson to the Commonwealth Bank, asking it to support the major owner of poker machines in Alice Springs, Iris Capital.
The Alice Springs News published an exclusive report about that letter last Friday.
The report contained two images of the letter and it is reproduced in full today (at right). The council yesterday decided to keep the leaked letter “in confidential”.
The News is not disclosing the source of the letter and no source was revealed at the meeting.
The News understands the council decided to make a complaint to the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption (ICAC).
Discussion centred around making an example of people not respecting the council’s often excessive reliance on confidentiality, and that the source may have been an elected member, a council staff or someone outside the council.
Former Deputy Mayor Eli Melky (pictured) said today: “The key element is trust and when confidentiality is breached then trust is breached. That leads to a difficult work environment.”
The News expects to receive information from the government about the number of pokies in the Iris-owned casino and how much a year people are losing on pokies in Alice Springs.
There is much debate about the impact of poker machines on the community of Alice Springs, including a comment by RAINER CHLANDA.
To whoever leaked this letter.
Thanks!
Don’t be concerned about the ICAC.
They are hopeless in tracking down leaks and Erwin will never expose you.
This is an attempt to intimidate you and others who oppose Mayor Paterson’s dictatorial leadership style.
Keep up the good work.
Do Matt’s letters of support for lucrative construction deals in his First Job also benefit him in his Second Job?
@ Michael. Suggest you ask the ICAC to investigate.
In the meantime …
Iris Capital does NOT have the best interest of Alice Springs at heart. Their core business is alcohol and gambling – neither helps our community – quite the opposite.
We as a community should be horrified that our very own major is in support of this company while pretending to care about the plight we currently face, partly because of it.
@ Peter. Young Matt does not “pretend to care.”
Recall that as a candidate he planned to focus only on roads, rates and rubbish.
Young Matt made good on that by deliberately avoiding the community forum on youth crime, and then announcing on national news he is abdicating his job to Albanese.
As tourism and property go down, Young Matt holds an emergency council meeting. To address an urgent town problem?
Yes … he wants ICAC to seek petty revenge on his enemies!!
Young Matt needs to be grown up by adult leaders holding a spear.
What ICAC should investigate is the personal endorsements on council letterheads, suggested by the Mayor as being acceptable and common practice by all councillors.
For this to be done, without any consultation at all with the other elected members, is in my non-professional opinion, most definitely not acceptable.
This practice provides no oversight of the potential for personal benefit from these endorsements, which is corrupt behaviour.
I look forward to the ICAC investigation into the matter revealing the details of all of the personal endorsements made in this manner, by all councillors.
The NT ICAC is next to useless, it’s all rather like being flogged with a limp lettuce.
It’s pathetic track record in the six years of its existence demonstrates that for all the good the ICAC does, it’s not quite as useful as tits on a rooster.
@ Randall. Yes, personal endorsements on Council letterheads have been normalised.
They are deceptive and unacceptable.
What else has been secretly endorsed?
An FOI request may help expose this.
This needs to be investigated by the ICAC as a matter of urgency.
Love it: “Flogged with a limp lettuce” … “as useful as tits on a rooster”.
Reminds me of a Canadian drilling supervisor I once crossed paths with, who used to say: “Better’n a smack in the moosh with a frozen mackerel.”
My knowledge of the Local Government Act is inadequate to the point that I’m not sure that is the title.
However, I’d like to know what avenues the Council, and/or the community have to censure the Mayor’s outrageous and unethical behaviour.
I have suggested that Council should move a vote of “no confidence” in the Mayor.
The only response I’ve had is an off the record “it ain’t going to happen in this Council”.
Why ?
What’s left?
A citizen’s petition?
@ Charlie: In the Northern Territory you can make a Freedom of Information request to a local council under the “Information Act 2002” whose specific aim is to promote transparency and accountability in government.
Under NT law, a member of the community has the presumptive right to access government information, with limited reasons for refusal.
A lawyer can help with the FOI request and inevitable refusal.
Then, the NT “Local Government Act 2019” says if you make a complaint about a violation of Schedule 1, Code of Conduct to a local council who makes a decision (e.g. “issues a reprimand” or “recommends counselling”), you or a council member can then refer your complaint to the NT Civil and Administrative Tribunal for further action, up to a by-election.
The NT Local Government Act is 200 pages and worth reading with a coldie or two, along with the 100-page Information Act and the NT “Elected Member Handbook” a plain-language description of responsibilities e.g. “noses in, fingers out.” đŸ™‚
Thanks Michael.
I’ve had a brief look at the Act, and the handbook, and confirm that any action on my part would be a waste of time.
As Alex said, a tap with a limp lettuce leaf would be the most extreme sanction, and an unlikely one at that.
By the way, one Mattalone to add to your list was the call for Federal and ADF intervention back in March/April.
Clearly in breach of several Acts and regulations.
It caused some disquiet in Council, but the Mattpatters quashed any action.
It seems that the ballot box is our only hope.