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Wollongong City Councillor Kerrie Christian, a 10 year Active Community Team veteran, today rejected claims that she had poached the idea of an ombudsman for Wollongong City Council from rival ALP councillors.
"I campaigned actively for an ombudsman at the September 1999 Wollongong City Council elections," stated Cr Christian answering recent ALP criticisms, "and on my re-election to Wollongong Council I requested that we look at establishing the ombudsman position at Council's first meeting after the elections on September 23 1999." (refer to ACT Team Website pages : https://www.angelfire.com/id/KerrieChristian/policyopencouncil.html & https://www.angelfire.com/id/KerrieChristian/ombudsman99.html )
Cr Christian was supported in her call for a report on the proposal by the majority of councillors. However by early 2000 Cr Christian was concerned that her proposals had fallen through, and ultimately they did not receive adequate support within the organisation. However undeterred the ACT Team continued to plug away on this issue.
"The ACT Team's candidate Ms Cynzia Dei-cont then campaigned for the establishment of an ombudsman as part of her election campaign during the recent Ward 3 By-election campaign," explained Cr Christian, "quite clearly the ACT Team has a track record on promoting the concept of an Ombudsman within Wollongong City Council."
As she did in September 1999, Cr Christian has again placed this issue on the council political agenda, ie as one of several notices of motion listed for the first meeting of council after the Ward 3 By-election (Tuesday April 17 2001) - ie again raising the position of Ombudsman and also to give the public the right to address council at its meetings.
"I welcome the support by the Lord Mayor for these initiatives which I had raised 18 months ago and which the ACT Team have campaigned for in the 1999 and 2001 elections," stated Cr Christian, "but it is extremely foolish of him to suggest that they were his original ideas when our record quite clearly indicates otherwise."
Cr Christian expected that there would be a number of policy changes under the new regime where a coalition of 7 independents now controlled Wollongong Council, compared with the ALP being in the minority with 6 councillors.
"Obviously with the Independents now having the balance of power in Council, I am very keen to bring back onto the agenda a number of items that were either rejected outright previously or either did not receive serious consideration by council's administration because I was then in the minority Opposition of council," commented Cr Christian, "these initiatives include my calls for an Ombudsman and also for the public to be able to address the council meetings."
Authorised : Cr Kerrie Christian
Wollongong City Council - ph 0408 115 099
April 16 2001.
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