Congratulations to SKY High, a Parents Lobby Group advocating for a High School to service the Seddon-Kingsville-Yarraville area, on the publication of a report outlining the need for a secondary college in this important region.

You can download their report or visit their website.

Anton Mayer, LeadWest CEO, has called for the Western Suburbs to take a stand against the growing problem of  racist violence and to attend the upcoming Harmony March.

Racist attacks have also been condemmed by Sunshine Residents and Ratepayers Association (SunRRA) and Respect the West who held the “Enough is Enough Rally” after a violent attack  on an Indian student in the underpass at Sunshine Train Station, and a Candlelight Vigil for Hiep Thi Nguyen whose homicide has not been solved.

From “The Star”

30 June 2009

LEADWEST CEO Anton Mayer has hit out at recent outbreaks of violence in the western suburbs, condemning attacks against international students as “unacceptable.”

In a letter to Star last week, Mr Mayer urged residents in the West to band together to express outrage over racially motivated crimes by joining in a state-wide Harmony Walk next month.

Mr Mayer said he had been dismayed by the increasing levels of anti-social behaviour in the West, much of which has been directed towards vulnerable international students.

He said LeadWest would be working to support any council or community actions to stamp out the problem.“Cracking down on such unacceptable behaviour, particularly with the racial motivation that appears evident, needs to be addressed,” Mr Mayer said.

Mr Mayer said he feared the recent attacks had tarnished the West’s reputation with the international community. The Harmony Walk will take place on Sunday 12 July, beginning at Melbourne’s Carlton Gardens and ending in Federation Square.

http://www.senews.com.au/story/76521

The community backlash over Brimbank Council plans to build a $30 million Civi Centre is the type of response the Brimbank CEO, Nick Foa, hoped for.

Foa has effectively hijacked any debate over the need for such a centre.

The community doesn’t want it.

The community doesn’t want to go further into debt for it, and

The community certainly doesn’t want to give up a footy/cricket ground for it – yet there has been virtually no discussion on whether the centre is a good idea.

Foa has not engaged in any community consultation despite millions of ratepayer funds being diverted into the project. Again we ask, who does the Brimbank CEO work for?

The Sunshine Residents and Ratepayers Association (SunRRA) have decided to hold their own community consultation in the guise of an “alternate” Council Meeting.

Respect the West will be watching the fallout with interest.

contact@respectthewest.net

GREEN TRANSPORT

What’s our destination and how do we get there?

Join Janet Rice, former Mayor of Maribyrnong, and Colleen Hartland, MLC, for a presentation and discussion on key directions and challenges for sustainable transport in Melbourne.

Tuesday 7 July,
7.00–9.00 pm
Phoenix Youth Centre
72 Buckley St. Footscray (Mel 42 B5)

· Will new operators for our trains and trams make any difference?

· How can we reduce car and truck traffic?

· What’s needed for a safe climate, safe streets and healthy communities

· How you can contribute to the Parliamentary Inquiry into train failures

Enquiries to Ingrid Purnell,  iepurnell@optusnet.com.au

contact@respectthewest.net

In Brimbank – The Council likes to keep Soccer Clubs happy – even if it means breaking a deal with the Keilor Little Athletics Club. This story is from The Advocate’s Janae Houghton.

30 June 2009

KEILOR Little Athletics Club continues to demand an explanation on why an upgrade to its track was excluded from the 2009-10 Brimbank Council budget, despite an agreement the project would be funded.

Club president Sam Barbuto put a submission to the council asking for an upgrade in the budget to make it suitable for all weather conditions.

The Federal Government gave Brimbank Council $1.4million through its community infrastructure program to install two full-sized artificial turf soccer fields, as well as the athletics track. The projects were promoted to the media through press releases.

However, the council reneged on the agreement, only allocating the club $70,000 for design work at the last minute.

“We are not happy about this at all,” Barbuto said.

After attending the Brimbank budget submissions meeting and putting the club’s case forward, Barbuto spoke to chief executive Nick Foa, who said he would organise a meeting to discuss the funding issues.

“The budget has been and gone and is passed and I’m still waiting to hear from Mr Foa,” Barbuto said.

“I’ve had no correspondence at all, the only way I knew we even got the design money was because I got a copy of the meeting agenda.”

Once it was made aware that the project would not be funded in 2009-10, the Department of Infrastructure asked the council for an explanation.

Barbuto said the club would keep looking for answers.

“We firmly believe that we had a commitment to this project and it has not been fulfilled.”

http://www.the-advocate.com.au/news/local/news/general/queries-for-council-over-track-funding/1553871.aspx

1,000 Williamstown and other western suburbs’ residents gathered this afternoon to rally against a proposed development of 4 twelve story towers on Point Gellibrand.

Joan Kirner addressed the lively crowd and reminded residents that they had fought and won many times before and that they would again this time. On behalf of the community – she called for community voices to be heard as planning fo the planning process and condemned overdevelopment of suburbs by greedy developers. Greens MLC Colleen Hartland and Labor MP Wade Noonan were also in attendence.

The crowd marched on Point Gellibrand chanting “Save Williamstown” and “Don’t let Ron Walk(er) Away with Williamstown.”

With many hundreds of petition signatures, the Save Williamstown group’s next stop is a meeting with Justin Madden to demand a place at the planning decision-making table.

contact@respectthewest.net

http://respectthewest.net

Western Suburbs Community & Unions Coalition

- COMMUNITY PROTEST RALLY -

NO INAPPROPRIATE DEVELOPMENT

Save Williamstown for all Victorians

Sunday 28 June

2pm

Commonwealth Reserve

cnr Nelson Place & Cole street

Williamstown

Come and show your opposition to the proposed new high rise towers at Point Gellibrand.

Tell Ron Walker, developers and the state government that the community will fight to protect the local amenities and the environment for all Victorians.

Planning laws must stay with local councils and their communities

Defend the Rights of our Communities

Organised by Save Williamstown

]]> http://respectthewest.wordpress.com/2009/06/22/community-rally-save-williamstown/feed/ 1 respectthewest http://respectthewest.wordpress.com/2009/06/22/williamstown-residents-fight-inappropriate-development/ http://respectthewest.wordpress.com/2009/06/22/williamstown-residents-fight-inappropriate-development/#comments Mon, 22 Jun 2009 01:33:37 +0000 respectthewest http://respectthewest.wordpress.com/?p=477 ]]>

Height of Anger

by Goya Bennett
10 June 2009

Standing room only: A mass gathering turned out in Nelson Place on Saturday and pledged to ‘Save Williamstown’ from a proposed high-rise development. Picture: Darren Howe

ABOUT 500 people packed a public meeting in Williamstown on Saturday to oppose plans for a high-rise development that they say would destroy their suburb.

An entity known as Nelson Place Village Pty Ltd has proposed a multi-million-dollar residential development, potentially of 16 storeys, at the former Port Phillip Woollen Mill site in Nelson Place.

Fairfax chairman Ron Walker is an investor behind the proposal. Addressing Saturday’s meeting, speaker Shelley Oldham urged residents to put pressure on State Government ministers through every means, including Freedom of Information requests.

“Ministers do their work advised by bureaucrats – I was a senior bureaucrat, I know how they work.

“When a FoI inquiry comes into a department, a minister gets very, very nervous.

“The Government will be very keen to get this [development up] in their next budget cycle, but they will not be keen to damage their reputation before the next election, which is next year.”

Ms Oldham told the gathering, which included Hobsons Bay Mayor Peter Hemphill, that the council had a vested interest in acquiring rates revenue.

Meeting organiser Rennis Witham said robust arguments had to be presented to the Government so that objectors were not dismissed as precious latte-drinking Williamstown people.

“We may be precious, latte-drinking Williamstown people, but it’s our Williamstown and we’ll decide when and where we’ll drink the latte. The history of Williamstown is right here and now. We’ve got a nanosecond to keep it.”

A bucket was passed to start a fighting fund for what residents expect will be a costly and drawn-out campaign. Deciding on a name for the coalition of community groups opposing the development was the last item of business. Introducing himself as a local ratbag who drank lattes every day, Godfrey Moase asked the crowd to vote with a show of hands on their preferred name for a working group.

Save Williamstown was the name chosen.

It will hold a public rally on June 28.

http://www.themail.com.au/news/local/news/general/height-of-anger-williamstown-residents-fight/1536164.aspx

Our friends at the Maribyrnong Truck Action Group have released the following Media Release.

MTAG meets with Minister Pallas: “Westgate truck ramps will be built”

Members of the Maribyrnong Truck Action Group have met with Minister for Roads and Ports, Tim Pallas, and have been given an assurance that despite no commitment of federal funds in this year’s budget that truck ramps (which form part of the Victorian Transport Plan) will be built. The creation of this truck route away from the residential areas of Francis Street and Somerville Road will bring relief to thousands of residents.”

“This is great news for the inner west,” said MTAG spokesperson, Peter Knight. “A lot of people have been very concerned, since the release of the federal budget, that the project might not go ahead, but Minister Pallas told us that the Brumby Government is 100% committed to the project.”

This is such an important project for residents in the inner west who have been suffering the effects of 20,000 trucks a day using residential streets to get to and from the port. The corner of Francis St and Williamstown Rd in Yarraville has the highest levels of diesel pollution yet recorded by the EPA and residents suffer from significantly higher asthma rates and other health issues. “These ramps will go a long way to solving this problem,” said Peter Knight. “The Brumby Government has recognised the urgency of the situation and is taking responsibility for fixing it. It’s great news.”

Planning for the project is moving forward and VicRoads will be holding community consultation forums shortly as it canvasses options for the alignment of the ramps.

MTAG urges the community to get involved in this stage of the project by attending the forums and contributing ideas.

Media contact:
Peter Knight
Ph 0409 797 852

info@mtag.org.au

In Brimbank Council meetings, where the truth is usually found in the gallery, not amongst the councillors, you often hear something that gets your attention.

At last night’s meeting it was from Troy Atanasovski- Mayor – who is currently under investigation for not declaring gifts from MP George Seitz.

Troy announced – to boos and laughter from the gallery – that “There are no ALP Councillors” on Brimbank Council. Actually, 10 of the 11 are ALP.

Can the Mayor of Brimbank, Cr Troy Atanasovski explain how a non-Labor Councillor can nominate for ALP pre-selection for Western Metropolitan Region?

Or will Mayor of Brimbank, Cr Troy Atanasovski, admit that he is just simply a liar.

A liar, a shill and a disgrace for not standing down as Mayor while under investigation for breaches of the Local Government Act.

John Brumby’s commitment to clean up corruption in tatters

Key figures rewarded instead of punished

“I won’t resile from taking whatever action is necessary to clean up the party”.
- John Brumby, ‘Brumby talks tough over ALP clean-up’, The Age 2 June 2009

TODAY…
“Rafael Epstein: So it’s an endorsement by the Labor Party of Mr Suleyman then?
Hakki Suleyman’s solicitor George Defteros: I think it is an endorsement”.
– 774 ABC Radio, 16 June 2009

John Brumby has failed to act over the corruption scandal that goes to the heart of the Labor Party after promising Victorians and the Parliament that he would stamp out the misconduct, bullying, intimidation and misuse of public funds revealed in the Ombudsman’s report on Brimbank Council.

“Instead of punishing those at the heart of the scandal, John Brumby is rewarding them for their behaviour,” Shadow Minister Responsible for Scrutiny of Government David Davis said today.

“After talking tough for weeks about cleaning up the Labor Party in the wake of the Brimbank corruption scandal, this morning the Premier meekly stated ‘… I’ve told the Party that they need to address these matters’.

“Almost two months after the Ombudsman’s report was released, John Brumby has not disciplined or expelled Labor members involved in corruption, bullying and intimidation – instead, he has promoted them to national prominence.

“John Brumby’s repeated pledges to combat Labor’s culture of corruption are in tatters, with the Premier refusing to take action against the corruption and intimidation within his own party.

“John Brumby is showing utter contempt for Victorians by refusing to expel Labor members who have been linked to corruption, bullying and intimidation,” Mr Davis said.

These members include:

HAKKI SULEYMAN
The Ombudsman identified Mr Suleyman as a key figure in the corruption, bullying and intimidation in Brimbank and found that while working as an electorate officer to the Planning Minister, Mr Suleyman exerted inappropriate influence over council business.

Mr Suleyman remains employed by the Parliament, and the President of the Legislative Council has refused to sack him.

Mr Suleyman was also made a Justice of the Peace by the Attorney General and was identified in Parliament last week as being involved in ongoing branch-stacking.

Not only has Mr Suleyman not been expelled from the Labor Party, but he has now been rewarded and elevated to a senior delegate position and will help elect Labor’s national executive.

ANTHONY ABATE
The former Brimbank councillor who was named in the Ombudsman’s report in relation to his inappropriate conduct and bullying of Brimbank staff remains a senior operative in the Sunshine West branch of the Labor Party.

The Premier has refused to expel Mr Abate from the Labor Party and instead has said, “we have acted decisively in relation to the Ombudsman’s recommendations” (Source: Hansard, Thursday 11 June 2009).

KEN CAPAR
The former Brimbank councillor and member of Labor’s Glengala branch, who has worked for both Brendan O’Connor (Federal Minister for Home Affairs) and Labor’s State Member for Derrimut Telmo Languiller was found by the Ombudsman to have used his council computer to view pornography, misused information he obtained as a councillor for personal gain and engaged in improper conduct not befitting an elected representative.

The Premier has refused to expel Mr Capar from the Labor Party.

JUSTIN MADDEN
The Upper House successfully moved a motion of no confidence in the Planning Minister for misleading Parliament on what he knew about the activities and influence of his electorate officer Hakki Suleyman in Brimbank and his failure to act when presented with evidence of corruption, misconduct and intimidation.

John Brumby has refused to sack the Minister, described his conduct as ‘excellent’, and is now seeking to reward the Minister with a safe Lower House seat.

THEO THEOPHANOUS
Despite the Ombudsman’s finding that Theo Theophanous had improperly exerted influence at Brimbank, Labor is now seeking to resurrect the political career of Mr Theophanous.

“It is obvious that the Premier has no intention of stamping out the culture of corruption within the Labor Party or punishing the many Labor members that have been named in the Ombudsman’s report and associated with intimidation, bullying and branch-stacking in Brimbank,” Mr Davis said.

Media: David Davis 0419 000 212

Latest SunRRA Podcast “Historic Madden No-Confidence Motion”  Out Now

The latest SunRRA podcast has been uploaded to the Sunshine Residents and Ratepayers Association website.“The Historic Justin Madden No Confidence Motion”

The program includes speeches by Justin Madden and David Davis in the first no-confidence motion passed in the Victorian parliament for 20 years.

SaveSunvale.com

The fight to save Sunvale Primary School in Sunshine is heating up, with residents going head to head with Brimbank Council and its CEO Nick Foa over plans to build high-density accomodation on the site, in an area with poor infrastructure and little open space.

The community is demanding that the site be retained as Open Space and Community Development facilities.

A rally is being planned and more details will be released shortly. Residents have told Respect the West that this campaign will make the Sunshine Pool struggle look like a picnic.

Opinion

Nick Foa has told residents that problems at Brimbank Council are “in the past”, and asks us to “have faith” in the new council.

The Victorian Ombudsman has outlined serious allegations against Brimbank councillors, both former and current, that include alleged breaches of the Local Government Act that have been referred for further investigation.

In his report, the Ombudsman details issues relating to the 2008-09 Budget process (par 423) and draws the following conclusion regarding Brimbank CEO, Nick Foa:

“Despite the risks of not complying with Cr Suleyman’s ‘demand’, I remain of the view that the CEO should have brought the matter to the attention of the full council. The decision of the CEO and the General Manager, Corporate Services to accommodate Cr Suleyman’s demand meant that Cr Suleyman was able to secure $620,000 funding for a club linked to her family and supporters – without scrutiny from the full council or the public as to the appropriateness of her demand.”

This is a serious failing of the CEO whose inability to say “No”, or to present two draft budgets for consideration by the full council and the public, left some councillors voting for a budget that had been adjusted without their knowledge and without the knowledge of the community. When the community needed a strong CEO to stand up against alleged intimidation, he was found wanting. For this reason, I have no faith in Nick Foa’s ability to ensure appropriate governance of Brimbank Council and to ensure that bullying, intimidation and external influence do not taint the current council.

Further, the committing of millions of millions of ratepayer dollars to plan and build a civic centre that the community regards as unnecessary, when the community has not been consulted and where the proposed site is a sports oval, is of major concern to the community. This coupled with the fact that the CEO is proposing new meeting procedural rules that reduce transparency and accountability, reduce councillors’ freedom to debate motions and reduce residents’ opportunities to ask questions during council meetings, does nothing to alleviate my concerns nor restore my faith in Mr Foa’s stewardship.

Mr Foa asserts that the serious allegations contained in the Ombudsman’s Report are “in the past.” However, of the current councillors, three are under investigation. Mayor Troy Anatasovski is being investigated for possible breaches of the Local Government Act relating to undeclared election campaign gifts by George Seitz MP in the 2003 and 2005 elections.

Cr Sam David is being investigated for possible breaches of the Local Government Act relating to allegations regarding the “Keilor Lodge Reserve” contract.

Cr Tran Siu is being investigated by Local Government Victoria for a possible breach of the electoral laws relating to allegations that he used an unregistered how-to-vote card at the 2008 Local Government elections.

Cr Margaret Giudice exercised poor judgment in accepting a one thousand dollar gift at the end of her term as Mayor of Brimbank.

Mr Foa suggests that current councillors are not voting along factional lines, however The Ombudsman found that Councillors David, Kiselis, Seitz, Atanasovksi, Shamon and Siu have close links to George Seitz MP who was reported as having exerted undue influence over Brimbank Council. The Ombudsman also reported that these councillors had formed a ruling faction and had decided in advance who the Mayor of Brimbank would be in each year from 2008 – 2012. If this is not “voting along factional lines,” what is?

Lastly, and most importantly, what action is being taken to address the inequitable allocation of ratepayer dollars as described by the Victorian Ombudsman? For every club or group that might have received funding due to their political allegiance, another group or club has missed out. Is the new ALP dominated council going to rectify this parlous situation? The 2009-10 Draft Budget suggests not.

So I ask;

Is everything in the past as Mr Foa suggests?

Should we have faith in the current council as Mr Foa suggests?

I see no reason to have any faith in the current council, or the current CEO.

Sean Spencer

Convener, Respect the West
Committee Member, SunRRA

UPDATE 19 May: John Brumby has refused to hold Justin Madden accountable for failing to act on 2005 advice that there were problems with Hakki Suleyman, Listen to this denial of accountability.

MEDIA RELEASE

David Davis:
Liberal Party- Victorian Branch Media Release

WHY THE MINISTER FOR PLANNING SHOULD GO

HOW JUSTIN MADDEN COVERED UP FOR AND PROTECTED HAKKI SULEYMAN & AND HOW HE IS LYING ABOUT IT NOW

“…not until the Ombudsman’s report was released today was I aware of the extent of any of those matters or the investigations in relation to Mr Suleyman…not until that report was publicly released was I conscious of either allegations or the extent of these matters.”
JUSTIN MADDEN, PLANNING MINISTER, Legislative Council 7 May 2009

The Ombudsman has documented how Mr Hakki Suleyman, adviser to the Minister for Planning, engaged in conduct that breached public trust and acted to exert influence behind closed doors for personal and/or political motives. Mr Suleyman has criminal convictions for intentionally causing injury, being armed with an offensive weapon and assault with an offensive weapon.

For several years these issues were brought to the attention of the Minister for Planning, Justin Madden, in particular the inappropriate role of Mr Suleyman in planning and development matters.

Showing complete contempt for any basic standards of accountability, Mr Madden dismissed all suggestions of impropriety by Mr Suleyman, refusing to investigate, and indeed defended his adviser, ensuring that Mr Suleyman retained his position and his conduct was endorsed by the government.

Mr Madden clearly had knowledge of Mr Suleyman’s activities, as he was responsible for employing, supporting and directing him. The Minister ignored repeated public reports, letters and advice of appalling conduct coming out of his own office. Those activities have now been confirmed by the Ombudsman. The Minister’s response has since been to openly lie to Parliament, claiming that he knew nothing until the Ombudsman’s report was released last week.

The Premier seems to believe it is fitting to have an adviser convicted of violent criminal offences abusing his role, conspiring to inappropriately influence planning decisions and breaching public trust, all while operating directly out of his Planning Minister’s office. And the Premier seems to believe it is fitting that despite being warned about this for years the Minister should face no consequences as he brazenly claims that he knows nothing about it. So here’s the question Premier: What exactly does one have to do to be sacked in your government?

Following are details of just some of the occasions during the last three years when the Premier and the Planning Minister have been publicly advised about the activities of Hakki Suleyman, and have either failed to act or have defended their Labor mate. Many of these issues were subsequently highlighted in the Ombudsman’s report.

By the Shadow Minister for Police in Parliament on 30 July 2008

“My question is to the Premier. I refer the Premier to the extraordinary allegations by the member for Keilor, who claimed on Stateline that Mr Hakki Suleyman, an adviser to the Minister for Planning, is: …so powerful that state ministers and federal ministers are scared and frightened of him, that he can just march in and tell them what to do. I also refer the Premier to the further claims in the house today by the member for Keilor that Mr Suleyman is part of a Labor Party ‘underbelly’ in the city of Brimbank, and I ask: will the Premier direct the Minister for Planning to immediately stand down his adviser, pending a full investigation into these allegations?”

By the Member for Western Metropolitan Region in Parliament on 30 July 2008

“I thank the minister for his almost answer. Noting that the Australian Turkish Cypriot Cultural and Welfare Association leases a property at 76 Biggs Street, St Albans, from the Brimbank City Council for the princely sum of $100 per month, can the minister inform the house about what knowledge he has of this organisation and in particular its contact person, Mr Hakki Suleyman, the father of former Brimbank mayor and factional warlord, Natalie Suleyman, and his electorate officer, who are using this property as the headquarters of the Maribyrnong North (Turkish) branch of the ALP as advertised on the Labor Party website? Is this further evidence of more corruption and political patronage in the Brimbank council?”

By ABC TV Stateline 8 August 2008

“JOSEPHINE CAFAGNA: Hakki Suleyman is a prominent political identity in the region. He also works for Planning Minister Justin Madden as an electorate officer. Mr Madden was this week asked whether he’d made his own inquiries about the allegations involving Mr Suleyman.

JUSTIN MADDEN, PLANNING MINISTER: I don’t believe there are any matters that warrant consideration.

JOSEPHINE CAFAGNA: Have you had the discussion with Hakki Suleyman?

JUSTIN MADDEN: I’m not going to go into any details about conversations I do or don’t have with my respective staff.

JOSEPHINE CAFAGNA: Do you believe the City of Brimbank is ungovernable?

JUSTIN MADDEN: That is not for me to determine.

JOSEPHINE CAFAGNA: It’s in your electorate, though?

JUSTIN MADDEN: Those matters are determined by the Minister for Local Government. There are mechanisms for that and if people feel strongly and if people make public comment and do feel that strongly, I would anticipate if they do really feel that strongly, they should refer those to the relevant agencies. Otherwise, they are just hollow rhetoric.

By the Member for Western Metropolitan Region in Parliament on 31 July 2008

“I was just outlining the circumstances of and the reason for the action that I seek, and that is that I ask the minister to dismiss the Brimbank City Council and appoint an administrator pending a full independent inquiry into the council, including the activities of three non-councillors who seem to have significant influence on town hall, and they are Mr Charlie Apap, Mr Hakki Suleyman and Dr Andrew Theophanous.

By the Member for Western Metropolitan Region in Parliament on 31 July 2008

“I think I thank the minister for his answer. Given the fact that the chairman of the Sydenham community centre at the time under investigation was Cr Natalie Suleyman, daughter of the minister’s electorate officer, Hakki Suleyman, how can the more than 170 000 residents of the City of Brimbank have any confidence that any inquiry under the responsibility of the minister will produce a fair and equitable result, given the obvious appearance of conflict of interest? And does the minister have any concept of what ‘conflict of interest’ means?”

By the Shadow Attorney-General in Parliament 30 July 2008

“My question without notice is to the Attorney-General. I draw the Attorney-General’s attention to the statement by the member for Keilor that Mr Hakki Suleyman, the adviser to the Minister for Planning, the Honourable Justin Madden, is a standover man and part of the underbelly of Brimbank, and I ask: does the Attorney-General stand by his endorsement of Mr Suleyman as a man of high esteem and his recommendation to the Governor in Council that Mr Suleyman should be appointed as a justice of the peace in Victoria?”

By the Member for Keilor in Parliament on 30 July 2008

“I grieve today on behalf of the people in the Keilor electorate and the city of Brimbank, particularly because of Natalie Suleyman, who is the Robert Mugabe of Brimbank. She runs Brimbank in the same way that Robert Mugabe runs Zimbabwe. She does this with her supporters — the convicted fraudster Andrew Theophanous, who was in jail for three years for fraud; the other twice-convicted supporter, Charlie Apap; and the standover man, Hakki Suleyman, who controlled Brimbank. They are controlling Brimbank and those councillors that form the majority in Brimbank.”

In a submission to the Legislative Council Select Committee on Public Land Development on 18 September 2007 by Marilyn Canet

“Submission to the Minister for Local Government for investigation into conflict of interest has been rejected.

The Soccer Club, Albion Rovers, comprises family members of Cr. Natalie Suleyman (Mayor at the time decision was made) including the involvement of her father, Mr. Hakki Suleyman, electoral officer to The Hon. Justin Madden.

Community outrage has been recently exacerbated by the council decision to waiver the significant club contribution that previously, sports clubs were required to make. The Albion Rovers club does not hold these financial resources. This club also has a long, poor history involved in their previous club locations.

This process has alienated the site, intended for community use, and instead has restricted the community benefit to a club who comprise family and friends of the ‘politically heavyweight’ Suleyman family.”

In a letter to the Treasurer John Brumby dated 31 August 2006 from the Sunshine Residents and Ratepayers Association

“There have been other allegations of incidences of abuse of community assets made against Mayor Suleyman which the Minister for Local Government Ms Candy Broad has refused to investigate. The Mayor has also targeted four people from this organisation for asking probing questions about Albion Soccer Club and Biggs Street, St Albans and has attempted to have them banned from Council meetings where they ask their questions.

For the above reasons the Sunshine Residents and Ratepayers Association Inc. respectfully requests that the Minister authorise the Municipal Inspector to undertake an urgent investigation into this specific matter of mobile phone misuse and all other matters identified and that take place urgently as the majority of the Sunshine community believes that the Brimbank Council is out of control.”

By the Herald Sun on 5 June 2006

“A group of Sunshine residents say they have been banned from council meetings for asking the hard questions. Four members of the Sunshine Residents and Ratepayers Association have received letters advising them they would be declared “prohibited persons”. The letter, from Brimbank mayor Natalie Suleyman, said association members made frequent interjections that were considered unacceptable. Ms Reilly said the ban was prompted by the association’s accusation last week that Cr Suleyman had allowed the Australia Turkish Cypriot Culture & Welfare Association Inc – of which her father, Hakki Suleyman, is the public officer and secretary – to use a building rent-free.”

By The Age on 9 November 2005

‘Hakki Suleyman, an electoral officer for Commonwealth Games Minister Justin Madden, was accused of assaulting Sharon Ridler, 39, who was handing out how-to-vote cards on behalf of postal union leader Gail Cholosznecki during internal ALP elections in the federal seat of Gorton on Sunday. Mr Suleyman denied the attack, but said the cards had the derogatory statement: “Stop the branch stacking and bullying…Stop the Seitz and Suleyman families…controlling our electorate.” Charges have been laid against Ms Cholosznecki with the ALP disputes tribunal, accusing her of “disloyalty to the party” and “publicly attacking a party member”.’

By the Hon John Vogels in Parliament on 8 September 2005

“The reason I ask these questions is because I wish to know why the minister or her department does not investigate why the mayor of Brimbank voted on an issue where she clearly had a conflict of interest. The state electorates of Keilor and Kororoit are within Doutta Galla Province, which is held by the Minister for Sport and Recreation. The Minister for Sport’s part-time assistant is Hakki ‘Harry’ Suleyman, the father of Cr Natalie Suleyman and the former public officer of the Albion Rovers Soccer Club. The vice-president of the Albion Rovers Soccer Club committee of management is Mehmet Suleyman. He is the brother of Cr Natalie Suleyman and the son of Mr Hakki Suleyman. How could the mayor vote for a decision to give $650 000 to a soccer club when her father and her brother are part of that soccer club? She should have declared a conflict of interest. If she had done so there would not be an issue. She should have declared a conflict of interest but she did not do it. The minister has written back to me to say the Suleymans are not involved with this soccer club.”

By MX Melbourne, Nationwide News 10 June 2005

“Sunshine business owner Kim Webber has written to Brimbank Council CEO Marilyn Duncan and the Minister for Local Government, Candy Broad, calling for immediate action against the mayor, Natalie Suleyman, and her father Hakki Suleyman. In her letter to Duncan, Webber alleges the mayor did nothing after her father, an electorate officer for Sports Minister Justin Madden, verbally abused her within the council chambers in Sunshine. Webber claimed the incident happened after a gallery member questioned the mayor over bank fees but was made to sit down…Webber said Hakki Suleyman approached her in the corridor and verbally abused her. She said she was ‘extremely shaken up’, by the experience. Several witnesses have backed Webber’s account.” _______________________

“What did the Premier and Minister for Planning do when faced with all of this evidence? Well nothing actually. In fact they defended and promoted Mr Suleyman,” Mr Davis said today.

Now that the Ombudsman’s report is out, the Premier is feigning mock outrage, and the Minister for Planning claims he knows nothing.

“The Premier should sack the Minister for Planning. Ministerial accountability in this government is simply a joke and the conduct of senior ministers and their officers is a complete disgrace,” Mr Davis said.

Media: David Davis

ATTACHED: Letters to Justin Madden from 2005 detailing “reprehensible” behaviour by Hakki Suleyman; submission to Select Committee on Public Land Development from 2007 describing “community outrage” about behaviour of the Suleyman family.
http://tiny.cc/3hj4j

From “The Star”

Budget Losers Hit Out

T-Shirts $20 frm contact@respectthewest.net

More money … Sean Spencer, convener of Respect the West, is pushing for the Labor Government to invest more in the western suburbs. Photo: James Spencer

BRIMBANK community groups say the West has been left in the dark once again following a lack of funding in the State Budget.

Last week’s budget saw billions of dollars allocated to improve infrastructure, create local jobs and boost the economy but Brimbank residents say they have been neglected.

Respect the West member Sean Spencer said the Budget had failed to deliver funding for the grade separation of the St Albans level crossings despite the high number of fatalities at the Main Rd West crossing.

“Once again the needs of the West are given a lower priority than politically needy Eastern suburbs with traffic needs placed ahead of the lives of residents,” he said.

Police numbers and a lack of initiatives to counteract were also crucial issues which had been ignored.

“At any one time, up to half of all rostered police in the western suburbs are either on leave or allocated to other duties meaning that we are chronically under-policed,” Mr Spencer said.

“The community is screaming out for more police and this has been ignored.

“Unemployment is set to rise to seven per cent but the western suburbs already has an unemployment rate that is well over the state average and youth unemployment in some areas is sky-rocketing.

“This is only going to get worse with no specific initiatives to tackle areas of high unemployment.”

But while Brimbank may have missed out on some funding, a continuation and a boost to the first home buyers grant is set to see more people buying houses in the West.

Premier John Brumby was in Taylors Hill last Wednesday to announce the continuation of the grant and revealed that high numbers of people had been taking up the grant in the western suburbs.

The Premier said that from 1 May 2008 until 21 April 2009, almost 1000 people had bought new and existing homes in Burnside, Cairnlea, Caroline Springs and Deer Park.

More than 500 people had taken advantage of the grant in Delahey, Taylors Hill and Hillside, while 445 bought homes for the first time in St Albans and Kealba.

The revised first-home buyers package will offer $22,500 for first home buyers purchasing a new home in regional Victoria, $18,000 for a new home in metro-Melbourne and $9,000 for an existing home as of July 1 this year.

The revised package will be in place for one year.

http://www.starnewsgroup.com.au/story/74167

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Sign the Petition Here

The people of Brimbank have been left to rot.

• Deals have been done to exclude sections of the community.
• Who is going to clean this up?
• Who is going to right the wrongs?
• Don’t expect the “new” council to do it – 3 of them are under investigation and the CEO is named by the Ombudsman as helping to divert funding from needy areas to politically needy areas.

Its Business as Usual in Brimbank – Sack the Council NOW.

Help us by signing the petition

http://www.gopetition.com.au/petitions/sack-brimbank-council.html

Sheriff exposes rorts in city’s wild west

From “The Australian”
by Rick Wallace, May 9, 2009 

IT is said in Melbourne’s western suburbs that the Kirner Labor government didn’t spring into action on the Coode Island chemical fire in 1991 until late in the day when the wind started blowing the toxic smoke from the Footscray storage depot towards the city.

It’s a jaundiced view but it shows Labor’s strongest supporters have felt for a long time that their party of choice takes them for granted. The west is home to a patchwork of ultra-safe Labor seats and has been the springboard for some glittering Labor careers.

Its residents – a mix of migrants, battling families and blue-collar workers – continue voting for Labor though their facilities and services are well behind the rest of the city. For their loyalty, they have been rewarded with a local ALP machine rotten to the core.

Ombudsman George Brouwer’s report into the Labor-dominated Brimbank City Council contains claims of secret sweetheart deals for councillors’ families and allies, porn downloads from council computers, bullying and projects blocked because of vendettas.

Criminals, several of whom work or have worked for senior ALP politicians, were found to have influenced councillors in their duty and two of the party’s key factional warlords, George Seitz and Theo Theophanous, were also found to have been pulling strings behind the scenes.

Disturbing as the contents of the report are, it’s doubtful that any of it will surprise anyone familiar with the ALP. Warring clans aligned with Seitz or his bitter rival Hakki Suleyman have been involved in a political wrestle for years and the pair’s formidable blocs of ethnic votes have been coveted by some of Labor’s biggest names.

None of this has helped the local community. Democracy in the local party is almost nonexistent. In some branches it is laughable to think of an ordinary, politically motivated citizen joining up. It just doesn’t happen.

The situation on the council is worse still. As Brouwer found, shady allies of the local chieftains have cut grubby deals to suit themselves and behaved atrociously, and all the while the community has been shafted.

Brouwer’s report recommends the previous ruling clique on the council, including Suleyman’s daughter and his close ally Ken Capar, be investigated for breaches of the local government act. Brouwer also says the ALP may have breached the law after sensitive electoral data from head office was found on Capar’s computer, which also was home to a stash of internet porn and a video of a woman kicking a baby.

It’s clear the situation in Brimbank strengthens the state Opposition’s case for an independent corruption commission to be established in Victoria. The Government’s response, so far, is to adopt Brouwer’s recommendations, including banning political staff members from serving as councillors.

It’s expected that there will be an internal push to expel some of the Brimbank crew from the party and for Theophanous and Seitz not to be preselected again. However, neither is likely to go without a protracted and ugly public battle.

The Government has got its advisers offside with the council ban. Many use spots on council to top up their salaries and prepare for a crack at state or federal politics.

This occurs in the Liberal, Nationals and Greens parties, too. Perhaps the Government hopes they will combine to block the change, thereby allowing it to attack them for opposing its clean-up while solving its revolt in the adviser ranks.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25448537-5006785,00.html

As “The Age” points out below, the issues at Brimbank are not in the past and not contained to Brimbank. Four of the previous councillors are still there, George Seitz’ neice is on council, and the same MPs are sticking their nose into council business. On top of that, the administration at Brimbank which appeared to stand and watch while the ship sank, is basically the same.

Brumby must put party politics aside and sack the council immediately.

from “The Age”

Labor needs to flush out the stables at Brimbank

• Editorial
• May 8, 2009

Reprimands to Brimbank councillors won’t end the sway of factional bosses.

VICTORIA’S Attorney-General, Rob Hulls, at least found the right phrase for it. The misconduct and conflicts of interest at Brimbank Council, revealed in a report submitted to State Parliament yesterday by Ombudsman George Brouwer, were “nothing short of a bloody disgrace”, Mr Hulls said. To expunge that disgrace, the Government is quite properly implementing one of Mr Brouwer’s principal recommendations. Later this year it will introduce legislation prohibiting councillors from working for MPs, to prevent undue influence being exerted over council deliberations. The Government’s other responses to the Brimbank shenanigans, however, seem half-hearted by comparison. Instead of sacking the council and appointing an administrator, a municipal inspector will be appointed to ensure that Mr Brouwer’s recommendations are carried out. As for the Labor MPs identified in the report — a roll call of names already contentious in other contexts, including Theo Theophanous, George Seitz and Telmo Languiller — they are threatened with a reprimand, which sounds suspiciously like a slap on the wrist.

Why the Government should be so restrained in almost everything except the Attorney-General’s rhetoric is a mystery. In the circumstances, Victorians will be tempted to see the refusal to sack Brimbank Council as a partisan one, and perhaps as an admission of defeat. The misconduct and the networks of influence described by the Ombudsman are not to be understood as the isolated actions of a few councillors in Melbourne’s west, but as part of a culture of influence peddling that has deep roots in the ALP. When a government talks tough but treads softly in dealing with manifestations of that culture, the implicit message to citizens is that the peddlers will still wield influence, no matter how much they and the party have been shamed by a report such as Mr Brouwer’s.

Former Labor powerbroker Robert Ray once remarked that there are really only two factions in the ALP, the ins and the outs. And so it seems to have been in Brimbank, where the battle was not between Right and Left but between sub-factions — cliques might be a better term — of the Right. Ethnic differences sometimes intensified the successive ascendancies of those who at different times comprised the “ruling faction” or the minority on the council, but the story uncovered by Mr Brouwer’s investigation is ultimately a sordid series of favours sought and obtained — or of revenge taken for favours denied.

As Mr Brouwer notes, “councillors are mandated to represent the interests of the community and to faithfully and impartially carry out their functions to the best of their skill and judgement”. That, at least, is what the Local Government Act prescribes as a councillor’s role. It is extremely difficult to fulfil that role when a councillor is employed by an MP, however, for it may generate a conflict between duties to the municipality and duties to the MP. Yet in Brimbank, former mayor Natalie Suleyman worked for former police minister Andre Haermeyer during her tenure of the mayoralty, and Cr Costas Socratous worked for the former trade and industry minister and continuing Labor MP, Theo Theophanous.

Different but overlapping trails of influence connected the competing council factions with Mr Theophanous’ brother Andrew, whose wife Kathryn Eriksson was a councillor; with Ms Suleyman’s father, ALP factional heavyweight Hakki Suleyman; and with long-serving Labor MP and branch-stacker George Seitz, whose niece Heidi is a councillor. The mushrooming conflicts of interest were not only about some councillors being directly employed by politicians in another tier of government, but by the fact that non-elected people such as Mr Suleyman and Andrew Theophanous appeared to be able to influence council decisions.

Because of the influence of outside parties, those decisions of the council were not always made in “the interests of the community”. In the most vindictive instance set out in the Ombudsman’s report, Mr Suleyman and his daughter made a deal with Mr Seitz and Mr Languiller, under which the council would fund works on the Keilor Lodge Reserve in return for Mr Seitz supporting Ms Suleyman’s attempt to win ALP preselection for the Legislative Assembly seat of Kororoit. When Mr Seitz reneged on the deal, Ms Suleyman tried to halt the development work at the reserve. That is not how Ms Suleyman explains her actions, and Mr Seitz denies there was a deal. Mr Brouwer, however, is not persuaded by either of them. His meticulous investigation deserves a far stronger response from the Government than a timid promise of reprimands.

http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/editorial/labor-needs-to-flush-out-the-stables-at-brimbank-20090507-awka.html?page=-1