23 November 2012

Justice and Community Safety weigh in on the increasingly complex Belconnen Community Council

| johnboy
Join the conversation
9

This just in:

From: JACS Spokesperson

Subject: Belconnen Community Council

Message Body:
Good morning Johnboy

I am the Acting Communications Manager for the Justice and Community Safety Directorate.

I refer to your article on 21 November 2012 in relation to the Belconnen Community Council (BCC).

Some information is incorrect in that Ms Gourgard was not advised by the Office of Regulatory Services (ORS) that the September election, and Mr Watt’s nomination, was not in accordance with the council’s rules.

The ORS received correspondence from the Belconnen Community Council relating to procedural matters and interpretation of the Associations Incorporation Act 1991. The questions did not specifically mention the BCC’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) nor did they ask for a ruling on the validity of the AGM.

The matters as reported in Riot Act indicate there are serious questions about whether the Act has been complied with, which the ORS will be looking into. This will include consideration of the circumstances of the AGM and recent meetings held that are said to have changed the office holders of the BCC.

It would be appreciated if you could correct the information reported on the Riot Act.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any further questions.

Kind regards,

We note that in the previous article we were accurately quoting a news report which we leave the reader to make judgment of, and then a statement by Matt Watts.

Join the conversation

9
All Comments
  • All Comments
  • Website Comments
LatestOldest

johnboy said :

You’ve got to want it badly enough

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf1g00qbv10

That’s not loading for me. Perhaps I don’t want it badly enough. Perhaps it’s my steampunk computer. Or just perhaps it’s a bad link?

(I dread saying that as it’s the only time JB tends to go off at me and I’m a sensitive soul.)

johnboy said :

We’ve been advised that all parties involved have agreed to cease public comment until the matter is resolved.

There goes the Mully…

johnboy said :

We’ve been advised that all parties involved have agreed to cease public comment until the matter is resolved.

Great. Just how much taxpayer money goes into this childish highschool bulls***, does anyone know? At least they’re shutting up about it now, so we can attempt to maintain the pre-tense of living in a civilised democracy.

Gungahlin Al said :

I talked with Shirley that night and she was quite distraught that her comments to CT had been paraphrased in such a way as to change the intent of what she said. Not intentional but it is often the way that a journalist can miss the nuance of a complicated matter and inadvertantly make things a whole lot worse.

Shirley is a good person who has been working very hard for years for her community, putting in many hours every week, with not the shadow of a vested interest. The manner in which she has been treated recently has been shameful, and she is paying a heavy personal price for it. I’m disgusted.

Our favourite Liberal still is very quiet on this. Was his love for RA only a passing fancy?

We’ve been advised that all parties involved have agreed to cease public comment until the matter is resolved.

Diggety said :

I gambled on this story heading for either Today Tonight or Media Watch previously, now I think this story is a little too good for TT. Get on it Sherlock Holmes!

… or The Jerry Springer Show.

Gungahlin Al12:16 pm 23 Nov 12

I talked with Shirley that night and she was quite distraught that her comments to CT had been paraphrased in such a way as to change the intent of what she said. Not intentional but it is often the way that a journalist can miss the nuance of a complicated matter and inadvertantly make things a whole lot worse.

Shirley is a good person who has been working very hard for years for her community, putting in many hours every week, with not the shadow of a vested interest. The manner in which she has been treated recently has been shameful, and she is paying a heavy personal price for it. I’m disgusted.

Ms Gourgard told The Canberra Times today that the council had been advised by the Office of Regulatory Services (ORS) that the September election, and Mr Watts’ nomination, was not in accordance with the council’s rules.

Ms Gourgard … had been advised by ORS that Mr Watts’s nomination for council president … was invalid. Noel Towell, Canberra Times

I wonder what kind of statement the Canberra Times recieved from JACS?

I gambled on this story heading for either Today Tonight or Media Watch previously, now I think this story is a little too good for TT. Get on it Sherlock Holmes!

Daily Digest

Want the best Canberra news delivered daily? Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.