Insults fly over ‘conflict’

By Bridget Brady
TEMPERS flared at a City of Casey council meeting this week as one councillor said a notice of motion made against him was vindictive.
In moving the motion on Tuesday night, councillor Mick Morland said councillor Kevin Bradford did not declare an interest in some previous council notices of motion affecting Brookland Greens residents and should have done so because he is a resident in the estate.
But Cr Bradford said he had declared an interest all along and there was proof “in black and white” in council documents.
“You’ve really shown your immaturity tonight…and you don’t even get your facts straight,” Cr Bradford said of Cr Morland.
“This will make you out to be a bigger fool than you are,” he said.
Civic leaders in September waived the rates of Brookland Greens residents for 12 months after the methane gas leak debacle.
Cr Bradford rents a property in the Cranbourne estate, and therefore does not pay rates.
But Cr Morland said he still should have declared pecuniary interest or conflict of interest because he lived in the estate.
Cr Morland lost the motion that the council write to local government to investigate possible breaches of provisions of the Local Government Act.
Cr Morland said Cr Bradford should have declared an interest on three separate occasions.
But Cr Bradford maintained he did so, and labelled the motion as an attack against him that stemmed from a previous council incident between the two.
“This is pay-back on me for when I called for an inquiry about drinks you took from the council room,” Cr Bradford said.
“I have always declared my interest when voting on issues concerning the travesty the residents of the Brookland Greens are faced with…as was agreed by a majority of councillors who rejected Cr Morland’s pathetic attempt in what was merely a poor attempt at political point scoring.”
Cr Bradford said the other notice of motion was for a fund to complete infrastructure works at the Stevensons Road landfill site.
“Why do I need to declare an interest for infrastructure works? There is no conflict of interest, just a vindictive vendetta.”
“This is the level it (the council) has stooped to. This is why this council has such a bad name.”
Cr Lorraine Wreford supported Cr Morland’s motion and said she could not believe a councillor could move so many motions about an area where he lived.
But Cr Rob Wilson said the entire fiasco was “a concerted effort to get rid of Cr Bradford”.
“He (Cr Morland) likes to believe he is the gentleman of this council,” Cr Wilson said.
“This is a ridiculous motion.”
The motion was lost five votes to six.