The end justifies the means. This is the sort of logic that seemingly ran through council's collective mind during the adoption of a media policy banning councillors from speaking on council matters.
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The issue has once again been brought to the fore in the he-said she-said saga surrounding the contentious Community Committee meeting minutes.
The end? A united front. But as for the means, the price is being paid and this time being played out on the open stage for all to see.
And what is the cost? Each individual councillor has lost their ability to speak up for what they believe.
Yes, they are working behind the scenes to secure the best outcome for the community, and yet if a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?
Each and every councillor has been elected to represent the community. We deserve to know the good that goes on behind the scenes, not only to give praise where praise is due, but to recognise their efforts - or lack thereof - at the polling booth if they chose to run again.
Flipping the coin, however, do we not also deserve to know when things just aren't working?
I doubt anyone in the community or within council at this point thinks there are no kinks in the system, especially with code of conduct investigations being welcomed with arms as wide as if the drought had finally broken.
The Griffith City rate payers paid a whopping $98,000 in code of conduct investigations last year - just entering March, maybe that amount will be topped.
By choosing to present that "united front" Griffith City Council can be accused of losing it's transparency.
While refraining from passing judgement on who was right or wrong - with the three versions of the truth and everything in between - Cr Anne Napoli had the guts to stand up and speak on behalf of her actions in the face of a policy which had been a rag wrapped around the mouth of every other councillor since 2017.
How many councillors got tied up in petty disputes because they were referenced as a councillor in the media? How many times did they not speak out when they saw something awry?
The Griffith community didn't want the policy adopted: 82 per cent of readers who chose to vote said no in The Area New's poll.
At its adoption, it was said the policy would've made Lady Liberty turn in her grave. Is it time to turn her back over and give councillors their voice back?
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