Cr Tapscott is reported to have claimed that “there should be at least one of the local government national executives on the cabinet, or at least there as an advisor”.
Why?
The association believes that in expressing those views, Cr Tapscott demonstrates that she simply doesn’t appear to understand the role of the National Cabinet, any better than she & most of her colleagues appear to understand council’s finances.
The fact is that the National Cabinet was conceived as the key inter-government vehicle to provide the country’s elected leadership – the Prime Minister & all State & Territory Premiers & Chief Ministers – with an opportunity to reach a consensus on the best way to respond to the Covid19 pandemic, replacing COAG in the process.
While the political “would be if they could be” brigade from local government might think that they should be afforded a seat at that table, their representative would be the only leader not representing a genuine arm of government.
The truth is that Local Government is a creature of State or Territory Governments. It doesn’t rate a mention in our nation’s Constitution & to claim that it is a legitimate tier of government is dishonest. Local “Government” exists by virtue of state legislation (the Local Government Act in NSW) & its powers are strictly limited by the state government.
While Councillors, like Cr Tapscott, are elected by the residents & ratepayers of individual local government areas, their powers are limited to local matters within each of those areas. They have no “national” or “state perspective” apart from an insatiable hunger for more funding & can offer no genuine consensus on what are the interests of their constituents.
Local Government NSW (LGNSW) is an independent organisation that ostensibly exists to serve the interests of
New South Wales general & special purpose councils, not unlike other employer bodies or lobbying groups, with a
Board made-up of 16 representatives drawn from all councils. Ratepayers underwrite its activities via council membership fees.
The
Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) is the national voice of local government, supposedly representing 537 councils across the country, with a
Board made-up of two
Directors from each state, as appointed by the “
members” in each state (no representation from the
ACT or the
Northern Territory).
And while the association is not sure who Cr Tapscott believes the representative of Local Government at National Cabinet should be, it does not accept that representatives from LGNSW or ALGA would be qualified to speak on behalf of the sector, even if representation was agreed to.
The association believes that it is the responsibility of the NSW Government to speak to the interests & concerns of Local Government in NSW at the National Cabinet.
Unfortunately for all of us, the sad reality appears to be that the noble motives allegedly behind its establishment were short lived & have already been replaced by the partisan politics that have always been a cornerstone of our system of government.
John Richardson
Secretary/Treasurer
Bega Valley Shire Residents & Ratepayers Association
Tel: 0264945669
Email: secretary@begavalleyshireratepayers.asn.au
Website: http://www.begavalleyshireratepayers.asn.au