Smith raises dysfunctional’ councillor claims

Paul Dunlop
CARDINIA Shire councillor Bill Ronald has been labelled ‘dysfunctional’ by Bass MP Ken Smith.
The Liberal MP was sharply critical of Cr Ronald during a debate in State Parliament last week on amendments to legislation relating to local government.
Mr Smith said Cr Ronald found it better and easier to attack his council colleagues rather than work with them.
“He was a good councillor, but he seems to have turned on the other councillors and has turned them against him by trying to always take a populist line which is not always the right line,” Mr Smith said.
“Anyone can be popular but not everyone can be a good councillor.”
The Liberal MP said the longserving Pakenham Ward representative had been reported to Local Government Victoria (LGV) 13 times since 5 July 2004 for alleged breaches of the Local Government Act.
Mr Smith also raised in Parliament the issue of the assault charge laid against Cr Ronald after an incident involving Cardinia chief executive Don Welsh.
“He is quite a dysfunctional councillor,” Mr Smith said.
Cr Ronald said Mr Smith’s criticism showed that efforts to remove him from council had now become political.
Cr Ronald questioned where the Bass MP had got his information from.
He said details of correspondence between council mayor Garry Runge and LGV, cited by Mr Smith, were further evidence his colleagues held a vendetta against him.
“It’s starting to smell,” Cr Ronald said.
“It goes from one thing to another. I’m being persecuted, they’re trying to screw me to the wall and so far it’s all turned to nothing. What happened to the concept of innocent until proven guilty?”
Cr Ronald is due to appear in Dandenong Magistrates’ Court in October to face the assault charge.
Cr Runge has always denied the council has a vendetta against Cr Ronald.
Both the mayor and the Pakenham Ward representative are among the councillors planning to seek reelection when Cardinia Shire voters go to the polls in November.