Nick Xenophon tells South Australian Local Government Association AGM capping council rates is just ‘shallow political policy’

NICK Xenophon has “abandoned ratepayers” by backflipping on his previous support for capping council rates, the Liberal Party says.

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NICK Xenophon has “abandoned ratepayers” by backflipping on his previous support for capping council rates, the Liberal Party says.

Mr Xenophon campaigned at the 2014 state election to give the Essential Services Commission the power to limit proposed council rate increases to no more than CPI.

But speaking at today’s Local Government Association annual general meeting, he said rate-capping was a distraction to real reform in local government.

“Rate-capping by itself is both a blunt political tool and very shallow political policy,” Mr Xenophon, who will contest the seat of Hartley at the next SA election in March, told the meeting.

The Liberals would set a cap on council rate rises if elected, but Labor does not support rate-capping.

“Nick Xenophon has abandoned ratepayers at the very moment South Australians are struggling with massive cost of living increases from electricity and Jay Weatherill’s Emergency Services Levy,” Deputy Opposition Leader Vickie Chapman said.

“Xenophon’s latest backflip raises serious doubts about what other policies the former federal senator will abandon after the March state election.

“Nick Xenophon has already abandoned his policy to rid South Australia of poker machines.”

“Will Mr Xenophon’s opposition to Weatherill’s state bank tax survive the state election?”

Mr Xenophon said his view had changed because of the failure of rate-capping interstate.

“It’s caused huge bureaucracy — it’s caused either councils loading up debt for future generations or cutting services,” he said.

Mr Xenophon also outlined what he called a “comprehensive local government reform package” in front of dozens of mayors, councillors and staff at Adelaide Oval.

Nick Xenophon at the Local Government Association AGM. Photo: Eugene Boisvert.

He called for reform of the council code of conduct process, which he said had the potential to “turn into a legal nightmare”.

“The code should not be used to suppress genuine dissent instead of unacceptable behaviour”.

Mr Xenophon said his party would support:

■Councils working together to share resources instead of forcing mergers.

■Changes to freedom of information and whistleblower laws

■Bringing back in-person voting in addition to postal voting and

■A return to citizen-initiated referenda.

“Broadly, if a certain percentage of the state’s voters want a particular law changed, they can go through a well-defined and thorough process, have a law drafted and the social and fiscal issues set out, and at the time of the next general election have that question voted on,” he said.

“If it gets the majority of support, it needs to be passed into law.”

LGA president and Onkaparinga Mayor Lorraine Rosenberg said she was very pleased to hear Mr Xenophon’s view on rate-capping but added the policy was “virtually dead”.

“I think it (rate-capping) is a populist policy,” Ms Rosenberg said.

“It gives very small and scant consideration to services that will have to be stopped or services that will have to be reduced and therefore is a false promise of saving money because in the long term someone will have to continue to provide those service.”

There were no represenatives from the Labor or Liberal party at the AGM.