This letter to The Islander editor was published in a different version on 2011.11.23

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I wish to respond to your front page, “Mayor Slams Hollow Claims”.  It was interesting to read that she was using her personal statement “as an alternative to defamation laws available to me”. Considering that she seems to have no problem regularly denigrating three of our new councillors…  isn’t that a bit hollow?

At its last meeting, council strangely chose to discuss an opinion I wrote about the recent and bizarre article “Council at war” in The Islander. I was sitting in the gallery watching this pandemonion. I shall not be intimidated, so let me reiterate my points.

I believe council breached four times the code of conduct it approved this year.

Fore example, councillors were denied proper information about the proposed CWMS project for Penneshaw.   And their rights for accessing documents in relation to another matter have been confirmed by the OmbudsmanSA. Yes Mayor, the council problems are a sorry saga, however aren’t these problems, including the holding back of information, happening on your very watch?

Cr Davis now admits that elected members have the right to ask for any document; why did she not offer the new members support when they were asking for the relevant information to make objective decisions ?

I also note the peculiar comment about the cost of providing information to elected members.  Why should it take an enormous time to extract particular files from a report?  Was a complete copy of the report and relevant documents not left with the council as one file, as is normal procedure?

By their questioning of procedures and information needed it is clear Crs Walkom, Liu and Chirgwin are working a great deal together with offering advice and debating in council.  Other councillors and the Mayor should start apreciating their work, rather than constantly denigrating it.

Shirley Knight
Penneshaw