Cr Doug Thompson's mysterious abacus

Fremantle market business owners have often commented that they feel that they have been thrown to the dogs by Fremantle Council. That, and a whole lot more, but I’ll use this as the milder version of the general dismay and overall frustration and disappointment repeatedly expressed.

To hear themselves referred to as ‘dislodged’ or their diabolical treatment described as ‘unintentional consequences’ is sickening and abhorrent. How can they claim the consequences were unintentional when they were made aware of them loudly and publicly right from the beginning?

When the swearing, anger, outrage and confusion subside there are always the questions: why, what’s going on? How did it happen? What don’t they get….?

Of course, there are conspiracy theories; who is in bed with…? Are they incompetent, lazy or ignorant? Is it personal? Was it deliberate?

Well, I don’t have any concrete answers myself, but like many others, I have held the belief that at some level they all know they did the wrong thing, and providing they can find a solution which saves them publicly admitting fault or being held accountable or liable they would, at the very least, try to band aid what they could.

Last months council meeting ended any delusions we might have entertained; the meetings, reports, mediation, blah, blah and blah…

I have been contacted by people who were appalled at Robert Fittock’s comment, and one person said:

…Cr Fittock of course had his turn. What a nasty piece of work he is. He has obviously forgotten he was elected to assist the people of the community, instead he relishes in demeaning and insulting the disenfranchised stallholders. He stated - the disenfranchised stallholders made their bed! I can’t remember if he actually said 'they deserve what they get, but he certainly inferred it. He was definitely out of line and the mayor should have told him to pull his head in.

However, the real knife in the heart came from Doug Thompson. Crowing like a Cock in a hen house, he delivered his facts about the 43 ‘dislodged’ businesses:

4 left before negotiations
16 Sold their business at an average $59,000.00
3 Retired
5 signed a new lease
1 on a new agreement
6 were month by month due to future relocation
7 were casual and
1 was terminated

Jamie Murdoch’s outrageous claims that the average takings per stall was $10,000 per week-end, 40,000 customers each week spend around $35 per head, average rent at $300 per week and that only one person has been evicted. Council has accepted all of this as fact and we have not only disputed this but given truer figures. Why won’t council do the numbers themselves?

The stallholders association not only counted the 43 but publicly read them all out by name. They didn’t even include the employees in that count and as that was a few months ago we could now add more names and numbers.

None of our 43 people had signed any new lease so please explain how 12 of your ‘facts’ are classified as having left the market whilst at the same time signed onto new agreements?

If Thompson asserts that he has factual knowledge of 16 people selling at an average of $59,000 then I ask him publicly to supply us with the names of those people. Also, was this ‘one termination’ (eviction) Steve, Richard, Colin or Ed?

After two public rallies; one on council steps, dozens of letters and emails from stallholders, council meetings overflowing with angry stallholders, countless media articles and the obvious vacant spaces at Fremantle markets, I can not accept Cr Thompson is that ignorant - it appears to be malicious or deliberately incompetent.

Mayor Pettitt, Cr’s Fittock and Thompson would serve the people of Freo more effectively if they were to visit the office of Adele Carles and do a thorough tally of the financial losses reported to her office and gain some insight into the trauma and heartache of their actions rather than crow out Murdoch cronyism.

Or, for that matter - read through their own transcripts!

Cr Fittock was honest enough to admit that he didnt read through all that mail but this seems to suggest that Doug Thompson hasn't seen, heard or known anything and yet he claims to understand everything.

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Adele Carles fights for fremantle markets

Last Sunday Adele Carles impressed everyone at the Fremantle Market rally. Unlike many politicians, there was no double talk or empty promises or excuses. She went straight to the point and made her intentions clear. It’s time to act and it’s time to right a wrong.

Adele has been thorough in her research and has put in a massive amount of time and energy. True to her word, she was off and running Monday morning. Stallholders and the community need to step up now and back her.

She has spoken with a lot of stallholders and has most of the detail but some people have been hesitant to speak and I fear that they may not realize that someone is there to help them. There are a few people who have language difficulties or fear authority. I ask all stallholders to unite and make sure that no one is forgotten. Take people by the hand if they feel intimidated. Everyone needs to know that they are safe and they can speak candidly and honestly with her.


She said at the rally that she needs everyone to contact her within the next two weeks.
Please call her office on 336 7000 or email adele.carles@mp.wa.gov.au or just write her a letter.

Mayor Pettit did not show at the rally and since the eviction and dismantling of the stallholders association we have heard nothing from him other than: let’s move on and his suggestion that all the fuss was a personality conflict. Sad to say, it looks like the new mayor is just another Tagliaferri; a missing mayor.

There is no doubt that the council is responsible for this destructive lease, and so far, every indication is that they would rather have the markets collapse than admit fault or show leadership. 25% of the stallholders have already left; more are trying to sell out or are planning on leaving within the next few months. Even the building itself is in a state of neglect. The council is willing to throw 5Million bucks at it, but who is keeping watch? Why has council allowed the repair and maintenance to go unchecked? Are the ratepayers of Fremantle expected to finance the Murdoch Empire? I thought the markets were a Fremantle asset.


Is Fremantle council just lazy, incompetent or indifferent? Those lawyers knew exactly what they were doing when they drew up that lease – they were blowing off the stallholders, totally excluding them and the people of Freo.

It is on record that the Murdoch’s threatened litigation and stated that they would run the markets into the ground if they didn’t get a lease renewal. Obviously, council caved in due to bullying and the stallholders have become the sacrificial lambs.

Council lawyers knew there was no legal threat. But surely the point was that if they were making these threats with only a few years to go on the lease then why did council think that signing them up for another 20 years would be a solution? It would be the very reason to NOT sign them up.

Do the people of Fremantle know that the custodians of their properties are making decision based purely on intimidation?



For the latest post:
http://sonyagreen.blogspot.com

Stallholders plea to Fremantle Council (again)

Colin Wright speaking at the rally in Jan 2010.

2 years ago, many stallholders attended the Special Meeting of the Fremantle Council to hear the decision on the Market Lease. It would affect many of our lives and we were all interested in the outcome. Stallholders were divided on who should run the markets, as was the council, and this was reflected in the 7-6 vote to return the lease to the Murdoch family.

During this period many promises, guarantees and commitments were made but one outstanding quote by Jamie Murdoch sums up the duplicity of what has been allowed to happen since that evening.

In response to this question from Cr. Bill Massie

“So the current stallholders are guaranteed security?"

Jamie answered: quote
“We don't want to lose any stallholders, we want all the stallholders we have to come along. We have 200 stallholders who are all fantastic people, who we want to continue. We don't want to preclude any stallholders from anything. We want to give them the opportunity to come along for the next 10-20 years.”

He also went on to tell councillors, on many occasions throughout his presentation, that the Fremantle Markets would remain:
Firstly: a secure low cost trading environment and that they would put policies in place to do this.

And Secondly: as part of their Fremantle Markets Business Plan they would offer stallholders security of tenure with new 5 year agreements and 5 year options .

So as you can imagine, to the councillors listening to his presentation, the stallholders were going to be looked after, and I believe that that was important to most of them.

So what changed once the lease was signed?

What’s happened inside these walls and at Council that continually keeps the Markets dispute in the papers and causes a stallholder like Ed Seah to organize this rally.

Simple…the guarantees weren’t honoured and now about 40 of those stallholders… “the ones who Jamie said were all fantastic people” were, either priced out, relocated, downsized, or simply no longer wanted at the markets i.e. evicted.

The problem then for council was that they had also had made guarantees, in a public meeting, to all the stallholders and six of the councillors, that our businesses would be safe, under the new lease…Mark Scott even asked the question twice … he wanted to be sure. The ex-mayor also endorsed this point of view…

So what ever happened to those guarantees …We’ve asked Council, many times, but they have never answered those questions. We’re asking again today, for Ed and all the others who have lost their businesses:

…why have you failed to honour your guarantees?

Let’s also look at another of the Murdoch commitments,that of a:

“Low Cost Trading Environment”. This was a crucial component for stallholders and also a cornerstone of their presentation to Council. Markets need low rents in order to remain competitive. What has been allowed to happen, with the exorbitant rent hikes, now sees our rents higher than most in the Freo CBD and up with the most expensive market rents in the country. These unsustainable increases coincided with the Global Financial crisis, a weakening retail environment and greater insecurity surrounding small business. The timing couldn’t have been worse.

With these rent hikes we’ve lost our competitive advantage, prices have to go up or you go broke; and that’s what is happening. A market by definition must offer value for money, otherwise it becomes another shopping centre minus the trimmings; no air conditioning, no free parking and no terrazzo floors. How can stallholders possibly maintain market prices on their goods when they are being slugged like this? The high rents and overheads are driving established businesses out, while at the same time, new stallholders are apparently given the incentive of subsidized rents - to fill the empty stalls which are starting to appear.

Empty stalls are a new phenomena - it’s unheard of over the last 30 years.

Remember in all this, Council only passed on a modest 12% rent increase with the new lease to the Murdoch’s. Stallholders on the other hand have been slugged between 50% –100% and in some case considerably higher. They say it’s “Fair Market Rent” and the independent valuation proves it. We say it’s no longer the low cost environment you promised and the exodus of stallholders shows this.

If 40 businesses disappeared from along South Terrace, Market or High Street, Council and the Chamber of Commerce would swing into action as a matter of urgency. When it happens inside these walls everybody, including the new mayor, duck for cover. They hope it will eventually go away but it won’t, not before, before more lives are shattered through the decisions and unwillingness to act by the council. These are small family businesses and in Ed’s case, he supports three children as a single parent and a sick and aging father who started this souvenir business 30 years ago.

It’s ironic that the Murdoch’s, who threatened to run the markets into the ground if they didn’t win the lease cited their family’s long and successful connection with the market as a major reason why they should retain it.

It’s typical then of this management, that Ed and the other long term family businesses, which have been forced out, could not argue their long term connection with the markets entitled them to have their lease renewed as well. (photo of Eds dad who also ran the stall for many years)
What’s also maddening is that these very stallholders, who have lost their livelihoods, are now publicly criticized by Jamie Murdoch for generating bad press and ruining the trade for those who remain. Nothing could be further from the truth! However, we should not be manipulated into silence through guilt, when the real reason for poor trading and loss of regular customers can be levelled at management decisions, rather than ex stallholders telling their story to the papers.

On a Wednesday night, 12 months ago, 100 stallholders filled the Council Chamber and told their stories of how they were being affected. Emails flooded the CEO’s in box, the message was clear and unequivocal: Our businesses are under threat, we cannot sustain the rents, people will leave - what are you going to do? Fremantle Markets is an icon - the time to act is now.

One possible conclusion to draw from this is that the Fremantle City Council condones the action of the Markets management and their treatment of stallholders.

Brad Petitt told the Herald that “Council is bound by the head lease and are not responsible for the day to day running of the Markets.” That’s not completely true because through the “Fremantle Markets Operating Strategy”, a key component of the head lease: Council has the flexibility to alter the lease, hold management accountable and to govern the direction the market takes. Changes can be made through the Markets Working Group but they haven’t chosen to take this course of action.

Maybe they are comfortable with this mayhem?"

I don’t believe they are; and for the councilors, both those who supported or opposed the lease, there is a growing sense of injustice and wrong in the way this is being handled. The councillors, who voted for this lucrative lease, and the officers who recommended it, should acknowledge that what was promoted and sold to them by the Murdoch’s, to support the Markets remaining in their hands, is not what has been delivered.

The awarding of the Fremantle Markets lease, without an open tender process, was always going to be clouded in controversy and what has happened since reinforces that view:

1. “Why hasn’t the Council enforced the Business Plan”?

2. Were misrepresentations made to council which contravenes the Trade Practices Act?

3. Would the council seriously investigate this for fear of uncovering incompetence within their own walls?

In the meantime, the Ed’s and other small business operators who believed the Council were looking after their interests now find themselves without their business - their livelihoods - their goodwill - their income or their superannuation.

To Brad Petitt, the Fremantle Council and the new councillors: This fiasco continues to degenerate; it’s an ongoing public disgrace. Six more stallholders have left this month; more are lining up to go.

Don’t keep sweeping it under the table, act to defend what is right and just here…show leadership on this issue.

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Community rally for Fremantle Markets 31/1/10

A public rally has been organised for Sunday 31st of Jan 2010 for Fremantle Market supporters to come along and hear what's really going on in the market and what Fremantle Council is doing about it. It starts at 4pm in the Henderson Street mall (Near the Fremantle Markets)

No more double talk, no more rumour or innuendo - just the facts. Listen to the people tell their true stories. This is a Fremantle issue; ratepayers, customers, families and local businesses are all being effected. Fremantle Market is not a joint venture between the Murdoch bothers and the council it is the peoples market.

When big business and bureaucracy destroy families, hard working battlers, and suck the soul out of a community - it's time to step up.

The greatest atrocities throughout history have occurred only because they were executed in small increments. A few here and a few there and no one pays much attention. By the time we realise what has happened: fear has become the weapon. Apathy and silence is not the solution.

These people are your neighbours, customers, friends or family members - these people could be you one day.

Say no to greedy landlords. Say no to political agendas. Say no to artificially inflated prices. And say Yes to Aussie battlers having a go.

http://sonyagreen.blogspot.com

Brad Pettitt - Remember Freo Markets?

This week I sat with yet another group of people who have been financially and emotionally traumatised by FMPL. The majority were long term successful operators and I found it particularly poignant that some spoke of knowing Jamie Murdoch as a child, working for his dad who had the lease at the time. It’s hard to imagine that that small boy would become the man who would so easily and clinically wipe them out.

The sense of betrayal was probably greater than the confusion and anger that they felt. Some of these people had not only backed the Murdoch bid on the lease renewal but they also actively wrote letters of recommendation and rallied on their behalf.

Even as the rents and outgoings skyrocketed and they witnessed the conflict, evictions and the loss of friends and colleagues they still believed it was all probably a part of a higher plan. They trusted the Murdoch’s and offered support and loyalty.

When it comes to retail it’s really just a matter of convenience, location, cost and value for money. Retailers come and go and that’s a fact of life. Buying an apple at the supermarket and comparing it to buying an apple from Scottie at the Freo markets is hardly an earth shattering event – so what’s all the fuss about?

It's about community and it’s about belonging. Sure, you shop at the markets and yes it is a commercial venue and of course it must be financially viable and competitive. Shopping centres are light, spacious, organized, structured and well facilitated. You will pay more for products but the advantage is fast and efficient service and it’s perfect for quick in and out shopping.

Market shopping is almost opposite that style. Market shopping is an outing, relaxed browse or exhibition. Going to the markets is not a task – it is somewhere to go or something to do. People don’t necessarily go with a set plan or list of what to buy. They want to be surprised; to find something unusual or a bargain or a treat.

People can rush into a supermarket in their lunch hour but in the markets they want to wander around, talk with shopkeepers, catch up on the news on the street, people watch, try products, smell exotic fragrance and aromas, sample foods, listen to a cacophony of sound, be teased and entertained, to buy without pressure or slick sales spiels, grab an ice cream or a beer and watch the busker and the passing parade of interesting looking characters.

In short, they want to be a part of a community, to feel comfortable and to feel like they fit in as individuals not as something attached to a credit card. For tourists or out of towner's it is an exciting place. Veteran stallholders might not speak all languages but they do speak the language of “welcome stranger – how can I assist you”.

Like cab drivers and barmaids around the world these are the people who know where to go, how to get there, what is safe. These people are the ones you trust, people who still take the time to ‘shoot the breeze’ with the customers. Locally though, it is so much more than that.

I heard about a lady the other week and I think she summed it up nicely. She just said “What has happened to the markets - it feels like it has lost its soul.” She went on to say that she has come to the markets every Friday after work (for more than 10 years) to buy her veg from Scottie, grab a pancake and then wander over to the antique shop to chat with the owner who she befriended many years ago.

And this is the Magic that the Murdoch’s don’t understand and will never replicate again. There are thousands of locals who came because Penny Banister knew their name, Herman teased them as they walked by, Phil talked astrology, Col knew his horticulture and many said it was the best stall there, Richard stocked their enviro friendly products and knew what he was talking about, Marilyn had warmth and kind words, people like Mary Cole were just loved and admired, people like Milton, who could have retired years ago, is held up as an example and all the locals know and respect him.

We expect to see Ed, Gerry, Gloria, Sue, Angelo, Liz, Richard D, Bob the others who prefer not to be mentioned, but you won’t see them and you won’t hear laughter coming from the magnet shop, or de-stress in the bonsai shop, joke or haggle with the veggie guys; in fact you won’t hear much laughter at all.

There are so many more; many go back twenty or thirty years. They have seen each other go through tough times and celebrated marriages and births and grieved together more than a few times. They have watched children become adults and now some of those children have taken over the family business. For many people this has become the second family or the community’s family, something which evolved over many years and it is this that held the secret of the markets former success.

An accountants’ mind might argue that this is business and that the markets are not there for the psychology or wellbeing of the community. It’s about profit. And this is the fundamental flaw in their thinking - because loyal, repeat custom is profit. This is your free multi million dollar advertising, marketing and customer base. This is why your apples are better than any other apples. You can bank on that!

That guy from Singapore who dropped into Ed’s shop to buy a cheap postcard left with a few good tips of where to eat, catch a bus or find good accom. Mostly what he left with was a reason to tell his friends and his family about the friendly helpful people at Freo markets. He might be the guy who will post his holiday pics on his facebook or blog. He might be the guy who comes back a week later with a bunch of new friends he met at the backpackers. He might be the new unofficial Singaporean representative for a holiday in Fremantle. He might have only bought a $2 card on the day, but his word of mouth might be bringing in exponential dollars for years to come.

What really infuriates me is that Fremantle council knows this. Fremantle markets have been a magnet for tourist, an incubator for new business and innovative ideas, a community meeting place, the local town crier, and financially in their own words ‘the jewel in the crown – the icon’. The money in their parking metres, the prosperity throughout the CBD, the week end boom-time is their commercial bread and butter. When the markets go the dominos fall and businesses (rate paying businesses) will be effected and leave.

So don’t tell me that the little second hand bookshop is insignificant!

And stop telling me about cheap rent. The mere pittance of your so called ‘low cost environment’ translates into millions of dollars for you and the Murdoch’s. Rent was never, ever, a gift or charity nor was it cheap if you break it down into how limited the facilities and spaces are. It was to some extent just smart business - with you and the Murdoch’s cashing up in dollars by saving them a few cents. You gave them crumbs but you ate the loaf and asked for more.

If you want to talk about dollars and cents try some real number crunching. Take the markets out of Freo and work out an advertising, marketing and promotional campaign to bring people and business back to Freo.

While you are now budgeting for the mammoth restoration work of the bricks and mortar we are still wondering why the ratepayers are forking out the millions to repair what should have been maintained and repaired throughout the last lease. Why has council not been doing thorough annual checks on the building? You are the custodians aren’t you? Why are the Murdoch’s not being bought into question about the neglect of the building or being accountable financially?

My question to Fremantle council is why they are investing this kind of money in the building if the business within the building is in such a vulnerable state? Cynically, I could assume that council will be paid rent by the Murdoch’s until the lease expires no matter what happens. But, that will be cold comfort if you lose business and reputation throughout the entire CBD. It’s time that both parties stopped thinking in terms of real estate; this is not just about rent and both of you had better work that out fast.

The council screwed up badly and they know it. The X mayor couldn’t cope and ran away and hid. The new mayor said it’s a matter of mediation and that he would be having talks…no one has heard anything more than his airy comment about moving on. We might as well move on, but let’s move on from the point that we all know that mistakes were made, litigation and intimidation played its part, personality conflict hindered communication, time and money and effort is still daunting but all of that is getting bigger and bigger and it is not going away.

You can blame the recession and you can blame the stallholders association and you can blame bad press, but truth is truth, and no one is fooled. It’s costly, stressful and acrimonious now, but it will be more so, if everyone refuses to get real.

No matter how much you didn’t want to hear what the stallholder association was saying they did at least keep it contained. If you think that removing them put it all to bed then you are delusional. You don’t have a rational voice speaking on behalf of the collective stall holders or the ratepayers. What you have now is countless angry voices rising up to meet you.

Facts:
At least thirty businesses have been forced out of the market – legally robbed by your error. More are leaving this week and more in months to come.
New casual tenants are either refusing to sign on or are being offered subsidized rents.
Vacancy rates this Christmas were the highest it has ever been.
People who have re-signed have been backed into a corner and many are just trying to hang in long enough to be able to sell out or get out debt free or break even.
Customer traffic is declining rapidly
Stalls are currently empty
Morale and atmosphere is depressing
The place looks shabby
People are getting sick from the lack of air cond.
Advertising is minimal or ineffective
Christmas trade was so bad some paid rent out of pocket
Wednesdays ‘trial’ was embarrassing and grossly overstated and misleading
Most of the promises in the original proposal have been broken
The operating strategy is a joke
The working group is ….can’t even describe that
Tagliaferri and council promises have been broken
Stallholders are too fearful to speak up
Members of the association have been victimised and evicted
Stallholders have been warned not to speak to the press of even each other about their grievances.
People have been told they can no longer sell established products or deal with established suppliers.
Stall holders have been ‘advised’ to sack their own employees
Part time jobs have been lost
New people are being bought in with competing products and favourable advantages creating conflict and resentment between them and established businesses.
People have been given notice without reason and by a note being left on their counter

The stallholders are obviously bitter and angry and devastated but it’s now the customers who are only footsteps from your door. You won’t hear them coming but more importantly, you won’t even notice as they walk away.

Of course I could be wrong and this might just be my point of view and maybe the stallholders and customers might just be of the same mind. Perhaps Jamie Murdoch is the only one who really understands. Apparently he thinks so as he sent out this masterpiece last week in a newsletter:

2009 was a difficult year for retail… We’ve had feedback…For example…our research…Our statistics….When speaking to our customers we have learned …
Well, it’s been tough but we fared pretty well by comparison.

But this:

“2009 was a difficult year in terms of relationships with some stallholders and, sadly, some Councillors. Things were not made easier by some very one-eyed reporting by the Fremantle Herald. But the biggest disappointment of 2009 was seeing outgoing stallholders, who have always claimed to have the interest of the Markets at heart, handling their departures in a way that was clearly designed to damage Fremantle Markets, with no regard to the harm their actions might do to the business of loyal stallholders.”

I wonder if Freo Council is living in the same alternate Universe. Mayor Pettitt, is that how you see it? Troublemakers and paparazzi?

Go to latest Sonya Green post:
http://sonyagreen.blogspot.com

Murdochs evict spokesman and force out long term tenants

New councillor Andrew Sullivan’s comments in last weeks Herald should make the new mayor sit up and pay attention. Andrew is impressive on two counts:
His refusal to be censored (gagged) and the balls to speak his truth.
He seems to grasp the importance of looking at new ideas or better options to help the disenfranchised stallholders. He simply states that the stallholders don’t need to be told to get on with it when they are obviously working through grief and suffering.

To me, the mark of a great leader is the rare combination of intelligence AND heart. This is a guy to watch.

Mayor Brad Pettitt’s rather beige comment about the eviction of Colin Wright was not much more than a political exhalation. “Colin and the Murdoch’s are clearly not able to work together any more. It’s best for everyone if they go their separate ways. I can’t see any way forward.” So what’s that – a personality conflict?

Has Brad completely missed the point? Colin Wright was elected by the stallholders to represent and speak on their behalf. Elected and supported because he had the ethics, intelligence, tenacity and most of all the courage to risk his own successful business to protect the vulnerable. Through Colin Wright the council was alerted to very major problems more than a year ago and his predictions and warnings have all now come to this final conclusion.

Removing Colin Wright is not the end of the plight of the stallholders or the predictable conflict to come. The markets are very close to collapsing and when Colin Wright is out of the picture the power of play will be between the Murdoch’s and a council who has so far been happy to deflect their responsibility in the whole sorry saga.

With council planning to spend in excess of 4 million dollars on the markets my suggestion would be to work out first of all if there will be a market by the time the debt is repaid. At a very rough estimate the Murdoch’s will be making squillions but the council will be lucky to break even after ten years.

It would do council and the Murdoch’s well to firstly define what a market is.

Exorbitant rents, lack of savvy traders, loss of customers, inappropriate stall positioning and unviable businesses are what this year turned up – where to now?

http://sonyagreen.blogspot.com/

Cr Robert Fittock curious about my sex

It’s been a crazy week, ending up with a somewhat severe looking photograph of me on the front page of the Fremantle Herald. I never imagined that my fifteen minutes of fame would involve a Fremantle councillors curiosity or fascination about my genitals.

The huge headline “Fittock under fire for ‘sleazy’ email” was undoubtedly an embarrassment to Fremantle council. The email in question was and continues to be an embarrassment to me. Although I am offended and angry I am also quite willing to bring it out into the public arena.

Apart from the obvious intention to belittle or insult me, the sexual undertones suggest a bullying implication. If he had said it or even emailed it to his like-minded colleagues it might have been viewed as schoolboy smut or immaturity. Sending to all councillors was disrespectful and as one person mentioned it had a subtle sense of intimidation; a covert suggestion that this is what happens when you cross him.

Initially I wrote a somewhat provocative and critical letter to all councillors in reference to the decline of the Fremantle markets. The exact copy is on this blog under the title of back yard piss up. Yes, I acknowledge that this is a little crass but deliberately so for effect.

Only three councillors replied. Cr’s Lauder and Dowson wrote to express understanding of my concerns and frustration. Cr Fittock wrote nothing more than a sarcastic quip about my blog and it was something along the line of the internet being the dunny wall of the world. (Dunny is Australian slang for toilet)

He then shot of his email to the mayor, CEO and all councillors:
“Don’t ya just love her…if in fact she has a womb…hermaphrodite maybe…or just someone with a teensy weensy weenie.”

I am not so precious that I get offended by dirty jokes and I really don’t care if people blow off steam in-house. It is my opinion that a joke must be clever or funny and this is clearly neither.

This says nothing about me but it does say an awful lot about cr Fittock. Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung or indeed any psychiatrist or psychologist would have their work cut out in analysing this subconscious.

Cr Fittock is an elected member and is expected to represent the people. When he was asked by the Herald to comment he said he had never spoken to me personally and his ‘flowery’ wording was his way of asking whether the blogger was a woman. He followed this stupid statement with “If I need to apologise I will but I wont do it until I get advice.

He then complained that he should be able to email colleagues without fearing his comments will leak. He said he would lodge an official complaint with the CEO.
(Interesting priority – good luck with that. Must be reassuring to the public that you put yourself first and appear oblivious to the trouble you’re in and the trouble you have created.)

The incident happened over a week ago. He has had time to prepare a reasonable statement and if this is the best he can do then we can only wonder about the mans intelligence or right to represent his constituents. I have not had an apology from him and after that comment, why would I accept one now? I will mention that Cr’s Lauder, Haney, Adeane and deputy mayor Dowson have all contacted me and apologised on behalf of council.

Adele Carles called me as soon as she read the article to see how I was and offered assistance and support. No wonder she blitzed mayor Tagliaferri at the last bi-election. His only comment to me was something along the lines of what email are you referring to?

The Herald quoted him as saying that the comments and their public disclosure would both undergo ‘due process’ but he too was concerned councillors might feel hesitant about open expression if they couldn’t trust that internal emails would remain private. He foolishly continued with “There have been emails in the past that were seriously on the edge but they haven’t gone outside.

When I commented that cr’s Dowson and Lauder has expressed their embarrassment and put forward their apology other councillors turned on them in a witch-hunt manner and accused them of leaking the email to me. In-house the biggest debate was about the leak not the offense!

The Herald did get comment from the councillors who were still focused on the main issue and not playing into the diversionary tactics of the others:
“Sleazy, almost a sexual put down,” Cr Georgie Adeane said.

“It's belittling for everyone on council…It’s horrible” said Shirley Mackay, a mayoral aspirant. “I can understand someone calling for his resignation.”

Cr Donna Haney was “Disturbed” such comments could be “made by an elected member about someone in our community.”

Cr Les Lauder was “utterly disgusted” adding “I don’t believe that such a person should be on council.”

Although this is a very ‘unsexy’ cause, I will push on and allow my face to expose this type of nastiness. It seems to me that Fremantle council is divided in many ways and it is apparent to me that one team works so hard and ethically and the other works defensively, neutrally or politically. I don’t want to be involved with politics but it appears to me that it is always the same people who step up and show themselves.

Fremantle is about to elect a new mayor and of the in-house aspirants Shirley Mackay was the only one to comment on this issue and didn’t run for cover.

Pettitt, a good mate of Fittock was silent, overall they all did the old Tafliaferri shoe shuffle or played under the radar. Perhaps it would be wise to bring in someone from outside the clique. I fear a Tagliaferri protégé will allow this old boys club to continue.

I still haven’t had any real answer to my original email about the markets but Colin Wright challenged Brad Pettitt to put his ideas to the public in plain black and white. Brad wrote to the editor of the Herald and this is what he said:

‘As Colin Wright’s letter (Pettitt’s too little too late, Sept 5, 2009) attests the recent angst over the markets lease made it very difficult for a useful dialogue to occur between all parties.

Now the head lease and rental issues have been resolved I hope council can work in a more productive fashion to revitalise the markets (the Growers Market is an exciting first step) while addressing stallholders concerns over the transition.

Is that the best you can do Brad? All parties exclude the stallholders completely and the Growers Market looks like a school fete.

John Dowson not interested in being new Fremantle mayor

Media Statement

Why I am not running for Mayor of the City of Fremantle

I am not nominating as a mayoral candidate. For the past 4 years as Deputy Mayor I have worked very hard to represent the community interest in the face of mediocrity and vested interests.

The community, while tired of internal bickering, has not fully appreciated the necessity for the battles waged to get better decisions and a better future for Fremantle.

I believe that a fresh and mature face such as Michael Martin will unite the council. A vote for Brad Pettitt, who is backed by Peter Tagliaferri, and the very people who, for example, have given us the Fremantle Markets and SMRC Waste Management fiascos, would be a vote for a continuation of big business and factional interest over community interest.

It is obvious that political parties such as Labor and the Greens want to have a major influence in these council elections. For the mayoralty and in the wards, Fremantle needs to elect community candidates, not party ones.

Good luck to all candidates.
John Dowson
Deputy Mayor
City of Fremantle