Overseas Trips: What is their to hide?
Wednesday 24 April 2002

Clr. Parker's third attempt to extract the cost of Overseas and Domestic Trips of each individual Councillor and Senior Staff Officer was defeated by the Labor Party caucus.

"The Labor Party are very keen to make sure that the costs of these trips do not surface to their faithful local voters." Clr. Parker commented.

"The motion I put forward last night at the Ordinary Meeting of Council simply would make the Councillors accountable for how much they cost - like what does anyone have to be feightened of, if the information was to surface?"

The motion put forward by Clr. Parker at the Ordinary Meeting of Bankstown City Council on Tuesday 23 April 2002 was as follows:

"That a report be requested from the General Manager regarding overseas and domestic trips by Councillors and Senior Officers paid for by Bankstown City Council from September 1995 to 31 March 2002 which tables the following:

• Councillor's Name/ Senior Officer's Name

• Checklist detailing each individual overseas trip made which shows:
  
  (a) the destination (b) total number of days paid for by Council (c) Number of other person/s and days paid for by Council (d) Total cost of each trip

• Summary detailing the number of overseas trips for each Councillor/ Senior Officer including total days and total cost

• Checklist detailing each individual domestic trip made which shows:
  
  (a) the destination (b) total number of days paid for by Council (c) Number of other person/s and days paid for by Council (d) Total cost of each trip

• Summary detailing the number of overseas trips for each Councillor/ Senior Officer including total days and total cost."

The motion was defeated.

Contact Max Parker