Council streams to private blog site

THE City of Fremantle has a new propaganda channel.
Instead of announcing its new CEO via its ratepayer funded council website, council today chose to leak the information to a local blogger’s site that describes the Australian PM as brain dead and businessman Clive Palmer as, “a big fat Queensland bully” (www.streetwisemedia.com.au/fake-news-alert-freo-streetwise-to-freos-one-eyed-view).
CEO Glen Dougall today refused to answer questions over whether he or someone at council leaked the information to the highly biased site that acts as the unofficial noticeboard for the City and elected members’ soapboxing.
The same site this week criticised the latest edition of Freo StreetWise over a political analysis of recently elected Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge.
Mr Dougall was appointed CEO after a lengthy and questionable recruitment process StreetWise understands has cost Fremantle ratepayers nearly $100,000. A confidential report on the recruitment of a new CEO following Philip St John’s resignation last year was presented to council at a special meeting yesterday.
As StreetWise reported exclusively in January Acting CEO Glen Dougall was ‘coached’ for the position by a professional development company closely associated with the mayor’s leadership consultancy Integral (www.streetwisemedia.com.au/acting-ceo-coached-by-mayors-business-partners).
The City also appointed Rob McDonald, a principal of Tiderock Consulting, as the independent member of the CEO selection panel consisting of councillors Andrew Sullivan (until October 2021), Jenny Archibald, Geoff Graham, Frank Mofflin and Mayor Fitzhardinge who moved in December last year to have Mr McDonald appointed as the ‘independent’ member on the panel. StreetWise understands the mayor and Mr McDonald previously sat on the board of the Rottnest Island Authority.
The Mayor said today Mr Dougall, who had worked at the City since 2005, stood out from 82 applicants (five of whom were shortlisted) on the basis of his strong and compelling vision for the future. No mention is made of past performance in the mayor’s glowing comments. Importantly, it is the selection criteria that determines his suitability, not his vision. The CEO is a manager, an administrator, whose role is to implement the City’s vision.
Under their watch, Mr Dougall and Mr St John, now executive manager development and infrastructure at the Shire of Bridgetown-Greenbushes, have administered the City’s worsening financial position culminating in a $8.5 million operating loss last year.
Fremantle Society president John Dowson said the CEO’s recruitment was put to council as a confidential item, “by the very person who benefitted from the item. Normally council decides which item is confidential. That wasn’t voted on”. The mayor’s oversight was not picked up on by any elected member to ensure the process was transparent.
Nor was any explanation given by Mr Dougall when Fremantle’s only independent publication asked him today why the live stream of the FPOL meeting yesterday ended abruptly before the agenda item on the future management of Pioneer Park, scene of the ‘tent city’ fiasco last year. The item was deferred to the next full council meeting.
Mr Dowson also questioned why the City kept appointing new leadership from within when there is so much talent available nationwide: “It seems the previous CEO was appointed simply to be a yes man to the council and its wasteful spending. That CEO resigned within three days of Mayor Brad Pettitt being elected to parliament.
“As predicted by the Fremantle Society, Council is now faced with massive debt from the King’s Square Business Plan, and rumour has it, the total bill is now much greater than what we stated during the last election. A dynamic fresh independent CEO could address this crisis, but instead, the financial woes of council will continue to be covered up.
“It’s not just the Business Plan, but the Jones Street Depot site, Fremantle Markets, and so many council assets that are not being maintained.
“There is a Federal election on, and previous councils put out a wish list for money they would like from the Federal Government. Where is the wish list from Fremantle Council? Why not lobby for Fremantle’s heritage and culture for a change? Why not seek the $1 million needed for Victoria Hall to be a classy arts venue, $1 million needed to fix the interior of the Town Hall, $1 million needed to properly interpret Arthur Head and the Round House or $2 million needed for the Archaeological Centre at Pioneer Park?
“Instead of more cover-ups, Fremantle needs to boost its best assets.”