Last month, former Waratah-Wynyard Councillor, Allie House, resigned suddenly from her position on Council.
She made this known in a letter of resignation to staff and Councillors, and a public post on her social media profile. She then took her complaints to the ABC to deliver a few punches to local government processes, the Council, and fellow Councillors.
This has left the municipality wondering – what went wrong? Why did voter investment in House not pay the full return? Why did House think there wasn’t any more room to operate within the Council structure – and what did she do to bring about any change before leaving?
The list is long in publicly stated reasons as to why she chose to quit, so it appears that there were multiple factors that influenced the penultimate decision. But what pushed House to the brink?
When House stepped in she presented herself as a beacon of hope and a powerful voice. ‘An energetic and fresh approach’ was her tag line.
If the whole community takes the time to hear what House had to say, the message was clear:
It was not worth her time to perform that role because of the serious limitations to achievement and improvement imposed on her by the system’s structures and she would be better placed to devote her time elsewhere.
It seems like the appetite and willingness to ‘make a difference’ remains, but within that framework, the range of action was handicapped. Communities must ask themselves if local governments have adequate structures and governance for present day society.
Some found it disappointing to see that someone who stood and had a go – who didn’t have to – just throw their hands in the air and quit unexpectedly. Is it really that bad to be a local representative, or is it that some do not fully grasp the challenge of the role or the impact of trying to swim upstream in a strait jacket?
This resignation, right, wrong or otherwise, should cause great concern for the community if it is part of a pattern for the younger generation coming through who feel the need to pull the pin on local representation. Progressive reform is continual, but this does not allow for what some might see as the need for the overhaul of local government.
Whilst the community can definitely sympathise with an outgoing Councillor who runs to the media to tell on the others and seemingly call for amalgamations, House only scratched the surface with her complaints and the limited number of minor agitations.
Was House expecting to find the Holy Grail and usher in some bright bold future for the community? Change to the Waratah-Wynyard Council and local government will not come easily, and if House the Councillor had started saying publicly what she only said to the media on the way out, she might have actually achieved something. Parting shots always come across as, well, parting shots, and the arrow brand is usually FaceSaver. To borrow further from the Monty Python version of the Grail quest, her minstrels then sang:
When challenges reared their ugly head
She bravely turned her tail and fle
Brave brave brave brave Ms Allie!
The giveaway before she gave it away: House’ Councillor Facebook post.
She was almost there, but ran away from the challenge, in order to protect her image within the community. Did she ask the community for help? Was the community aware of her frustrations and lack of support? This resignation shows weakness, displaying that she was not up to the task and too proud to ask for help. She wasn’t philosophically against local government – she never would have stood, and being a working professional, there was no economic need for her to be in the role.
Yes – all of her grievances were validated within a particular train of thought, but the challenge wasn’t to be avoided – it was to be tackled head on. This is what the community were hoping for when they gave her the pile of first preferences. Instead, all they got was dashed hopes at the Mayor that could have been. But at least some benefited from the $1200 worth of business vouchers that House personally handed out approximately one month prior to her announcement of resignation.
Look around at most councils around Tasmania, and in many instances they contain ridiculous personality clashes, misconduct, conflicts of interest, corruption, prejudicial agendas, manipulation of processes, and expectations of bad decisions. Hobart City Council, Huon Valley Council, Launceston City Council, Meander Valley Council, Derwent Valley Council, Circular Head Council, Devonport City Council, Glenorchy City Council, Glamorgan-Spring Bay Council – the list goes on, with local councils in the headlines for one reason or another.
What did House really expect? Was House afraid of getting hurt or hurting someone’s feelings? It is highly doubtful. A working professional, someone who had also spent time working for the Council, House would have known the limitations of local government and specifically the challenges faced by the Waratah-Wynyard Council. It is assumed that this experience was one of the factors that led House to try her hand as a representative. Yes, she would have learnt more about Council practices, but to claim that after 1.5 years in the role she suddenly realised how impossible it was – should be questioned. If this can be doubted, then the reasons as to why she resigned appear as a mask only and the community may have the cover story rather than the real reasons for House’ resignation.
In the words of Waratah-Wynyard Council Mayor, Robbie Walsh, “I certainly hope this isn’t the last time we see Allie House in a role as an elected representative.”
Will House aim for representation at the state level? The questions for House are, will it be too ‘political’ and ‘ugly’ and would she have enough time to do the job ‘properly’ – or will the system always be the politician’s scapegoat?
Codie Hutchison is a thinker, teacher, and occasional contributor to Tasmanian Times who lives in the Wynyard region along the north-west coast. He keeps a close eye on Council activities as part of the Inglis Media network.
Republished with permission from Inglis Media – For more analysis and disclosure, you can become part of the Inglis Media network to stay updated on issues affecting local communities in the Wynyard / NW Tas region. See the Inglis Media Facebook page or Issuu publications for more information.
