In what to many onlookers seems to be a wonderment that deserved considerable head scratching Councillors voted to install Councillor Lindsay Brown as their representative on the Audit Committee following the announced stand down of Anthony Mayne from the post. Councillor Brown will now join Councillor Constable on the committee. When it was revealed there were three nominations Councillor Anthony Mayne suggested that candidates might like to address their peers, prior to voting, and off up credentials as to why they might be a suitable candidate. Only one of the three chose to do so. Councillor Pat McGinlay clearly described his thorough knowledge of Council's own systems indicating he had more than a capacity, as a member of the Audit Committee, to know exactly where to look, not only at the financials but also in the, as yet, unmeasured performance area that reveals value for money from resources. Councillor McGinlay also described his previous role as an auditor that saw him undertake major government audits nationally and internationally. From the gallery it was more than evident that he had considerable skills and experience to bring to the committee which has been under fire for the last two years for failing to investigate anything outside of its brief. Following his delivery neither Councillors Constable and Brown offered what they might bring to the position. Clr Constable has held a seat on the committee for two years so at least he will have some background as to what the committee might have recently achieved and what work remains outstanding. With Clr McGinlay losing out to Clr Brown it will be interesting to see what skills and focus Clr Brown brings to the committee. It is understood that he had a business once. Those watching the vote and assessing it from the perspective of experience, capacity and a willingness to extend the investigations of the committee to include performance audits and investigate corporate risk exposures and risk of loss of reputation came to the conclusion that the vote was to ensure Brown and Constable secure the roles. There have been ongoing demands that the Audit and Risk Committee Councillors investigate the HuntFest fiasco that has cost Council tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees and the very real loss of face and trust by the community. Even in the face of State Agency determinations and with growing evidence that it needs to be independently assessed neither Clrs Mayne nor Constable bought it to the table. No doubt over the next two years neither Brown or Constable will raise the issue either for to do so might well open a can of worms. Comment on the Council steps after the meeting was " it makes you wonder exactly what do they audit and what do they consider risk. The vote today was a stitch-up and a farce and clearly they don't want McGinlay sniffing around"
