MP Jason Falinski gives scathing review of Northern Beaches Council’s COVID-19 response
Federal MP Jason Falinski has slammed Northern Beaches Council for voting for a rate rise, as the Deputy Mayor tells him to “mind his own business”.
Manly
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Outspoken Liberal MP Jason Falinski has been told to “mind his own business” after he slammed his local council for voting for a rate rise.
In a letter to local councillor Pat Daley, the federal member for Mackellar gave a scathing report on the response of local councils during the COVID-19 crisis, including that of his own Northern Beaches Council.
“Thank you for your letter about Northern Beaches Council and their recent rate and pay increase combined with a decrease in infrastructure, which of course is French for footpaths, roads, sporting fields, parks, playgrounds and street lighting,” he wrote.
He said while federal and state governments have stood up during this crisis and “offered massive tax cuts and spending to stimulate our economy, save businesses, families and jobs … frozen wages of members of parliament and senior public servants and rapidly responded to the community’s needs; councils have not”.
“Councils have increased rates, when they should have decreased them.
“Councils have increased their salaries and allowances, while people were losing their jobs.
“Councils have cut infrastructure, when people need more infrastructure and the jobs that this spending provides.”
But today Deputy Mayor Candy Bingham said Mr Falinski was just playing politics and “frankly, he should mind his own business”.
She said Mr Falinski should be seeking to help the council recoup the estimated $21m in lost revenue caused by the virus and concentrate on his own issues such as getting the funds to fix up the Wakehurst Parkway.
She said the council’s draft budget proposes freezing rates for six months. Then council rate rises after that will be helping to support those who are struggling as there was a rates hardship policy. Cr Bingham said 43 people had already applied for it.
She said the average rate rise amounted to about $21 for the year, but would bring in $2.2m, some of which would go towards projects to help stimulate the local economy.
Cr Bingham also said the CEO and six senior executives have already volunteered not to accept a pay increase this year and other staff and councillors can voluntarily offer their pay rise to a fund which will support local charities if that’s what they want to do.
Mayor Michael Regan also labelled Mr Falinski’s remarks as offensive to councils across the country who are investing millions in “supporting local businesses” and “delivering care packages to help the most vulnerable people” in their communities.
“This smear attack on local government from a sitting Liberal MP Jason Falinski is appalling,” Mr Regan said.
“I wonder if the PM and the Premier support his comments on local government contribution?”
Northern Beaches councillors have split into two warring factions over the draft budget which is now out for public consultation.
Mr Falinski’s letter was in response to Cr Pat Daley’s request for help from the peninsula’s state and federal MPs to help stop the council’s “outrageous” proposal to raise rates for “long suffering northern beaches ratepayers”.
“This rate rise totally contradicts what every other level of government is doing in response to the COVID-19 crisis,” Cr Daley wrote in his open letter.
“These councillors seem to be unaware of the hardship being caused by COVID-19.”
It’s not the first time Mr Falinski has criticised Northern Beaches Council.
Last year he penned another scathing letter to Mayor Michael Regan, urging him to stick to local issues such as improving footpaths, after the council declared a climate emergency for the peninsula.