Ryde Council’s international trade delegation to Taiwan referred to ICAC

Sparks are flying between political opponents as a council decision to send staff and councillors on a five-day trade mission to Taiwan has been referred to the state’s anti corruption watchdog.

The trade mission will be held across five days in Taiwan.

A Sydney council embroiled in a recent staycation controversy is facing fresh scrutiny over a decision to send staff and councillors on a five-day trade mission to Taiwan

The Independent Commission Against Corruption has been called in to investigate a Ryde Council plan to send two councillors and three senior staff members to a five-day ‘Smart City’ summit and expo due to be held in Taipei next week.

Ryde Liberal mayor Sarkis Yedelian – who is due to attend the summit – has defended the visit, saying it will bring “enormous economic benefits” to the local government area.

The trip – scheduled from March 27 to March 31 – will also be attended by Liberal councillor Trenton Brown and three staff members including the council’s chief executive officer, general manager of city shaping and executive officer of city economy.

Ryde Council has confirmed the cost to ratepayers would be limited to airfares for the three council staff members – tallying a maximum of $1800 per return ticket.

Ryde Mayor Sarkis Yedelian.

Trenton Brown

All other costs involved with the international visit including hotel accommodation and food will be covered by organisers of the summit. There is no allegation of wrongdoing by any councillor or staff member involved with the delegation.

The decision to send staff and councillors on the 14,560km return trip has become a political powder keg after the council became embroiled in an unrelated ‘staycation’ controversy in November.

Councillor Penny Pedersen is opposed to the trade visit.

As previously reported by The Daily Telegraph, the council faced public backlash after an unconfirmed number of staff and councillors attended a five-star Sydney hotel for a “planning weekend” 13km from home.

The council declined to confirm how much the weekend cost ratepayers, saying only that it “provided strong value for ratepayers” because councillors and staff provided “unpaid participation”.

Mr Yedelian said he referred the Taiwan trip to ICAC in the “interest of transparency” after Labor councillor Bernard Purcell went on radio in an interview claiming the Taiwan trip was and “completely inappropriate”.

Mr Yedelian claimed the public commentary around the Taipei delegation has become “politicised” in the lead up to Saturday’s state election in which two sitting Ryde councillors – Liberal Jordan Lane and Labor Penny Pedersen – are running as candidates in the respective seats of Ryde and Lane Cove.

Ryde councillor Bernard Purcell voted against the trade mission.

The trade mission will be held across five days in Taiwan.

“Labor is trying their best to make it political so I had to refer it to ICAC for the interests of transparency,” Mr Yedelian said. “I didn’t want to attend the summit initially but the general manager said I had to attend because they wanted the head of city to be there in person.

“There are enormous financial benefits to the community in attending.”

The Taiwan trip was supported in a five-four vote at a council meeting in February when the matter was put forward as a ‘mayoral minute’ tabled by Mr Yedelian.

Ryde councillor Jordan Lane abstained from voting on the Taiwan trade mission decision.

Labor councillor Penny Pedersen has spoken out against the trip, arguing the public perception of the international visit was “not a good look”.

“After what the council has been dragged through in regards to staycation, the perception will be that our council is travelling to Taiwan on ratepayers money,” she said. “The perception of this is not good for us and I don’t think it passes the pub test.

“I don’t think the community wants to see us doing this particularly when they haven’t had the opportunity to be consulted.”

Speaking at February’s council meeting, the council’s general manager of city shaping Michael Galderisi said the trade delegation would bring financial benefits to Ryde.

He said the council was also planning similar trade ties with Japan, South Korea and India.

“We’re trying to move away from the ‘sister city’ relationship concept which is usually associated with the term junket and moving towards an international relations policy,” he said.

“The delegation (in Taiwan) would have 14 meetings with regional, state, county and city governments and meetings with 30 of the 400 top companies in the world.

“We’re looking to bring two of those companies back to headquarter in Macquarie Park with significant investment back to the community.”

It is not clear how long it will take for ICAC to deliver its findings into the matter, however Mr Yedelian said next week’s trade delegation would proceed regardless.

He has also rejected calls by Ms Pedersen and Labor councillor Bernard Purcell to “stand down” from his mayor position until the ICAC matter was resolved.

A council spokeswoman said the financial contributions being made by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office will “ensure no City of Ryde money shall be spent on the mayor or councillor delegates whatsoever”.

“Financial contributions for this delegation are a gift of cultural exchange to council and are not intended to be a personal gift or benefit. However, for transparency, all delegates must disclose any financial contributions towards travel and accommodation in their pecuniary interest forms,” she said.

“The expected economic benefits from this tour significantly outweigh the costs. As well as the additional benefits of cultural exchange, the potential for new investment and trade opportunities for the City of Ryde is significant.”

Councillor Trenton Brown defended the trip, confirming he would pay all costs associated with the five day visit.

An ICAC spokeswoman, in a statement, said: “The commission cannot confirm or deny if it has received referrals or information or whether it is undertaking investigations”.