Those of you who know me understand how keenly I support democracy. I believe in the sentiments expressed by the late Paddy O'Brien, that democracy is a precious thing we must nurture and care for. We have travelled a long way as a society since the days when psychological abuse went unrecognised. If a person was not bloodied, bruised, and physically broken then society would not accept that they had suffered harm.
Today we understand much more about ourselves.
But do we recognise how abuse can be perpetrated against communities and society?
In this shire there has been abuse of democracy in so many ways.
The community have been lied to by public officials and elected representatives. A Minister of State has confirmed this in writing, but there has been no remedy for the wrong that was done. Those who gained from the lie retained their profits.
The former shire president, Michael Smart, was prepared to accept a random process of planning could replace the due process democracy requires. No penalty for Smart, although he knew he was perverting the democratic process and not providing good governance.
The former CEO, James Trail, entered into contracts committing the ratepayers to a spend of $170,000 without any authority from Council. He received a spent conviction and continues to peddle his consultancy skills to local government with no penalties applied. The CAMMS organisation was acknowledged to have engaged in unethical business methods, but they continue to profit from lucrative public service contracts with no penalties.
The ABC South West asked a question yesterday:
How do you feel about living in a society where those with responsibility for football games impose stronger penalties on abusers than our government imposes on those who would abuse democracy?
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