Local members calls for greater accountability in emergency

CALLING FOR GREATER TRANSPARENCY…. Victorian Government Member for Euroa, Steph Ryan calls for changes to council meeting procedures in face of pandemic. Photo: Supplied
CALLING FOR GREATER TRANSPARENCY…. Victorian Government Member for Euroa, Steph Ryan calls for changes to council meeting procedures in face of pandemic. Photo: Supplied

Anyone who enters Victoria’s Parliament House is greeted by a quote from Proverbs, inscribed into the floor of the foyer: “Where no counsel is the people fall but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety”.

The principle is a simple one, democracy is threatened if one person or a small group of people take control without any oversight.

On April 23,  the Victorian Parliament will return for just a few hours to pass urgent legislation to keep our communities running. The date it will return beyond this is as yet unknown. With a State of Emergency in place until May 11, decision-making is now concentrated in the hands of the Premier and a small handful of people.

Local Member for Euroa, Steph Ryan said, “My role as a Member of Parliament is to make sure that the community’s voice is heard and that the decisions that are made do not adversely impact our region.

“All of us recognise that extraordinary times require extraordinary measures, however the people’s ability to have oversight of this power is still critically important. That is the role, and the function of Parliament.

“It is for the same reason that I am pushing for changes this week to the Local Government Act to allow councils to hold their meetings via video teleconference, instead of maintaining face-to-face meetings.

“Without government support for this change, councils won’t be able to meet to make decisions. Some, in fact, have already decided to delegate all their decision-making powers to their council CEO because they feel they have no other choice.

“Through these extraordinary times, we need now more than ever to defend the democratic structures which ensure the people’s voice is not lost. There must be checks and balances in place to ensure all levels of government remain accountable to the public.”