Plea to Mayor to evict the Murdochs

The Stallholders Association is here again tonight attempting to do for stallholders what the council has so far, failed to do. With the tabling of tonight’s report you have the chance to rectify what has developed into a major embarrassment for Fremantle.

Last week our popular chairman was thrown out of his stall.
Richard Murphy was trying to do what the Mayor had said his council would do…..Make the stallholders safe.

That’s cold comfort for Richard now. In standing up for others he lost his 22 year livelihood. Your attempts at intervention to stop his eviction were never enough.

Here are some of the broken promises, commitments and threats that we have been forced to swallow through this grimy mess. These were issues Richard tried to confront in his role as Chairman.

Where do I start?
• Was it when the Murdoch’s threatened Council to run the building into the ground if they didn’t get the new lease.
• Was it 3 years ago, when stallholders told council if we were written out of the head lease, we would have little or no protection?
• Was it when you chose to exclude us from the Working Group?
• Was it when the Mayor promised stallholders everybody’s business would be guaranteed?
• Was it when you voted for a head lease that promised a low cost environment?
• Was it when you determined our rent be set at “fair market rent”… and it’s ended up the highest market rent in Australia?
• Was it when you voted for a head lease that, promised stallholders 5 year sub leases with 5 year options, which were never delivered?
• Was it when you decided to send stallholders off to face their landlord in court to argue for fair and reasonable treatment… when, your own head lease includes provision for arbitration which we had also wanted.

Is this what Council meant by making stallholders safe !!!!

You have presided over a bleak chapter in the Fremantle Market history.
The people who have contributed the greatest to making this one of the best and most interesting markets in Australia have been forgotten?....

There’s only one long term solution for this. The Murdoch’s have to go. They have set the precedent. Do to them what they did to Richard Murphy…he tried to negotiate his lease and was evicted. If they have breached their head lease they should suffer the same fate. We can’t operate on two sets of rules…what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.

The situation at the Markets is now untenable. We have been deceived, you have been deceived, and key elements of the Business Plan misrepresented.

The councillors who voted for this lucrative lease, and, the officers who recommended it, should acknowledge that what was promoted, in support of the Markets remaining in the hands of the Murdoch family, is not what has been delivered.

Peter, this is a public disgrace. Don’t sweep it under the table, act to defend what is right and just. Like you said on Howard Sattler’s program “Nobody is a winner out of this”

So what about our chairman, our evicted friend, and much admired colleague Richard, who must ponder, what all this has been for?

If there is one thing that we are all united on …Richard Murphy must be reinstated.

My question is then to the Mayor?

You have presided over the most tumultuous time in the Markets 30 year history.

You were instrumental in supporting the Murdoch bid for the Markets based on their past record, their willingness to bring into fruition your dream of a 7 day a week fresh produce market.(Herald June 2006) and your concern that they would “run the markets down” or “sue the City” if their bid was not successful. You were prepared to extend their control to 2026. That’s 50 years in the hands of one family.

Will you now, Mr. Tagliaferri, show leadership, and act to support tonight’s Item C0904-9 report. If breaches have occurred, act on the only long term solution possible …
End the Murdoch dynasty at the Markets and start a new.