THERE are good reasons why all councils are required to openly publish their meeting agendas and to distribute agenda materials at least five days prior to the meeting being held, and those reasons include openness, transparency and time to prepare for meetings and for debate.
Elected members use those five days prior to the meeting to read the officers recommendations on the agenda and to consider all the motions on notice in order to be fully prepared for debate at the council meeting.
Likewise, the community uses those five days to view what’s coming up for debate and decision, to lobby their elected members on matters contained in the agenda, and to prepare for possible attendance and presentations at the council meeting.
Motions-without-notice of contriversial nature don’t allow members (nor the community) time to prepare and to consider all of the implications and consequences, and members proposing such motions-withoutnotice would be directed by the Presiding Member/Mayor to submit them as a motionon-notice to a future meeting.
Yet at their November council meetings the Mayors of both the Northern Areas Council and the Playford Council both accepted, without prior notice, a motionwithout-notice to radically change longstanding policy and practice to remove Acknowledgement of Country from council meetings and communications.
To give no prior warning of such a controversial proposal, and to allow a motion-without-notice of this nature, many will consider it an act of deception that is gutless, sneaky, opaque and underhanded.
The local communities of Playford and the Northern Areas Council should be outraged at the lack of consultation and that their Mayors and their elected members have acted in such a shameful way.
Yet another kick in the guts for our indigenous brothers and sisters.
Ian Tooley, Gawler East
