I’m surprised that this minute has been prepared to back a two time losing referendum.

Like everything the Gillard Government does, it’s doomed for failure. Not only because it has been thought up on the run without enough notice for the public but it’s merely a deflection for the governments on going poor financial management.

Labor loves smoke and mirrors. But behind this smoke, it the age old Labor view that the Commonwealth should control everything. This is nothing more that a way to centralise more power in Canberra. What better way to control local Councils than with money and specifically funding initiatives with strings attached.

Look at the mess the Health system is in and Education, now that the Feds have their bureaucratic hands all over it. If anything Health and Education should be devolved back to the states. Devolving power creates innovative thinking and competition between States. We lose that with central bureaucracies.

We are risking that future federal irresponsible governments will stifle local government and to have them beholden to a massive future Department of Local Government and Pothole Affairs.

Another complete waste of taxpayer money, there is nothing stoping the Federal Government giving local councils money today. We’ll take it and you can’t tell us what we can and can’t do.

Come polling day, I would expect Australians to once again say they have great faith in our excellent constitution and will distrust government tinkering on the edges.

For the punters in the Chamber, you can’t place a bet on Labor losing on September 14 but maybe you can get some good odds on this ridiculous referendum going down the toilet also.

As for the minute, like many things in this Council, it gets rushed. I got this an hour ago and clearly it hasn’t been thought through.