Analysis: Time to get on with the job of looking after Palmerston ratepayers

THE sacking of the Palmerston council was a long time coming, dragging out a lot longer than was probably necessary

Minister for Housing and Community Development Gerry McCarthy let the axe fall on Palmerston Council on Tuesday. Picture: JEFF TAN

THE sacking of the Palmerston council was a long time coming, dragging out a lot longer than was probably necessary.

It took seven months to get to the point that everyone knew we were going to get to and that includes the now former aldermen themselves.

Certainly none of the councillors have expressed any surprise. Obviously there is disappointment and anger because they feel they were always going to be done in by a government that wanted to get rid of them.

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But then it wasn’t just this government that had the Palmerston aldermen in its sights. It’s no secret the Palmerston-based members of the previous CLP government had their fair share of concerns as well, waging a constant war of words.

The council had a chequered history during its previous term which was marked with bickering and personality clashes among the aldermen.

There were council walkouts, no-shows, complaints lodged and claims council showed a lack of respect for council staff.

This was emphasised in the investigators’ report into the council, which was released on Tuesday. It referred to an email sent by Mayor Ian Abbott to an alderman saying: “I respectfully ask you to play the ball, not the man. Your often vitriolic attack on staff is unfair and affects morale of the organisation.”

The decision by Palmerston council to sign a $13.5 million-dollar contract to develop a multistorey carpark without the funds to pay for it and with no “subject to finance” clause was simply the straw that broke the camel’s back.

With an already strained relationship with the Minister for Housing and Community Development’s department, the carpark plan became a battle of wills. In a government v council battle, the Palmerston aldermen were always going to lose.

The government had all the ammunition it needed when the council signed a contract without the government’s approval for a loan. Mayor Abbott admits it was a clear error on council’s part. Previous drafts of the contract had a subject-to-finance clause and the final one didn’t.

Whether or not the council could have made the carpark deal work, we will never know. The most important thing now for the people of Palmerston is getting a new council elected to get on with the job of looking after ratepayers’ interests.