High time they get rid of all these perks. Was told these perks r being phased out. In return. The pollies get a 90k pay rise per year. Perth mayor got a huge pay rise too. Her pay got doubled. But she was on 60k per year. Guess rates going to go up this time. Will vote against the recognition of town councils. Just my rants.
Nothing wrong with payrise for the Perth Lord Mayor. Everything is done transparently and within reasonable limits.
She also has a chauffeur and tens of thousands in clothing and travel allowance.
But it is some of the councilors who misuse the allowances like Sandra Liu who was kicked out in 2011 after losing to lawyer Lily Chen. She maxed out close to $10,000 on shoes and clothes and asked for more.
Sandra Liu is a typical Beijing woman who came to Perth around 2000 marry a Perth rich man and started a Chinese newspaper at an office occupied by former Aphrodite brothel. Through guanxi, she got into FMG as China Marketing director and elected councilor.
Eleni Evangel, my Liberal mate, oppose her trip visiting relatives in China as an excuse for ratepayer funded trip. But PRC women are smart and there is no reason to doubt her.
I had used taxpayer money to look for potential investment properties in the past as public servant, so I was guilty as well. hahaha. But nowadays, they change the procedures so it is a perk now. Even family members of public servants can drive government cars these days. It makes sense because it is hard to control or monitor the use of certain perks.
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Liu’s China visit divides council
06/Apr/2010
Comments:
A WAR of words erupted at last week’s City of Perth council meeting over a councillor’s $7000 ratepayer funded trip to China.
Councillors last week agreed to fork out $7000 to send Cr Sandra Liu to the Intertraffic China Conference in Beijing between May 26 and 28.
However, some councillors questioned the urgency of the trip and queried Cr Liu’s true intentions.
Cr Rob Butler said he could not understand the urgency of the item and questioned the additional expenses it would cost to send the councillor to China, which were previously estimated at $5000.
He said councillors were yet to read about the success of a similar conference being held in Amsterdam, which was attended by another councillor, James Limnios, last month.
“Why the urgency when it’s a yearly event, why can’t we go next year?” Cr Butler asked.
Cr Eleni Evangel said Cr Liu expressed no interest in attending the Amsterdam conference, which was held from March 23 to 26.
“I am all for travelling and getting information but I think this provides a greater opportunity to catch up with the relatives,” Cr Evangel said.
Cr Liu, who was born in Beijing, said she was not attending the conference to get a free trip or catch up with family and said she did not pay much attention to the “personal attacks.”
“Most of my family will not be there when I am there, I won’t be catching up with them in China,” Cr Liu said.
“The reason I put my hand up was I felt I had an obligation to the council.”
Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi supported Cr Liu on the issue.