IT'S CHRISTMAS: Should we laugh or should we cry?

JUST A COPY OF A POST ON SPEAK UP LAUNCESTON AFTER BEING MADE AWARE OF THE SP&P COMMITTEE ITEM ON THE COUNCIL AGENDA MONDAY 17 DEC. 

Anyone on Facebook might want to share the Speak Up post around.

Should we laugh or should we cry?  But its Christmas next week!

Part of the City Council's Strategic Plan 2014-2024 claims to be an 'accountable and responsive Organisation' and to 'ensure decisions are made in a transparent and accountable way' etc. 

Speak Up L'ton has been alerted to a couple of items on the agenda for this Monday's City Council meeting - the last Council meeting for the year 2017 (17 Dec). 

Of concern is the recommendation in Agenda Item 21.3 to 'disband the Strategic Planning & Policy Committee.' At the moment, the SP&P committee is generally open to the public, but can also go into closed sessions. 

But now the plan is to get rid of it altogether (Agenda pages 129-131)

The second concern is about the Show Society's Show Report 2017 which was discussed in a Council Workshop on 11 Dec. 

In relation to this on Monday is Item 23.2, when the public council meeting goes behind closed doors - Closed Council (no members of the public allowed thank you) to discuss the Show Society's RNAPS Report to Council. 

Why Closed Council? Because they can. Regulation 15(2)(c) says that "commercial information of a confidential nature that, if disclosed, is likely to: 

(i) prejudice the commercial position of the person who supplied it; or 

(ii) confer a commercial advantage on a competitor of the council; or 

(iii) reveal a trade secret." - 'transparent'? 'accountable'? 'communicate and engage'... 'with community and stakeholders'? 'champion collaboration'? 

Back to the first question - should we laugh or cry? "