Edward Mandla
COUNCIL SPEECHES
External Memberships

Published On: 15/09/2014

More than half a million for external memberships raises eyebrows. It’s hard to tell which is a valid membership, what is really a grant and what is plain charity to “nice people”.

I asked the question last year whether we’d be prepared to go line by line, with one hand on our heart, and rank a membership as:

  1. Essential
  2. Nice to Have
  3. Not Essential

I do recall last year that is was said in the Chamber a rigorous review of each would take place. I note this year that memberships have grown!

I guess it’s just hard to say “No” particularly when we are “invited” and harder to cancel a membership when it’s run by “nice people”.

I remember an old manager of mine would call me in and say he’d want me to cut 10% of something and have the answer on his desk by the morning. I fussed and complained and always found it was possible.

If we had to tighten our belts we’d find plenty to cut. Pity that’s not our default attitude to ratepayer money.



Edward Mandla
September 2014

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