THE cost to the taxpayer of travel by the federal MP who represents Kingston is reasonably modest compared with some of his colleagues. According to the latest available Department of Finance figures taxpayer-paid travelling expenses for Labor member for Isaacs Mark Dreyfus to the end of December last year came to just under $122,000. Federal politicians’ travelling expenses have come under renewed scrutiny after Liberal member for Mackellar Bronwyn Bishop was forced to step down as Parliamentary Speaker in the wake of revelations she spent $5,227 of taxpayer money on a chartered helicopter trip from Melbourne to Geelong to attend…
Author: Neil Walker
THE kid gloves are off between Kingston councillors and MPs over visits to kindergartens. Councillors narrowly voted at the latest public council meeting to force kindergarten committees to tell council when federal or state MPs intend to visit kinders to “strengthen council’s ability to respond if council-owned kindergartens are being used in a manner that is inconsistent with council’s intent in the issuing of leases.” Councillors who backed the move voiced concerns about council-owned buildings and council logos being used for political purposes. Those who opposed forcing kindergartens to report to council before MPs visit their premises criticised the introduction…
FRANKSTON Council CEO Dennis Hovenden is set to represent Frankston on the international stage. Mr Hovenden will head to Seattle, Washington in the US in late September to attend the International City/County Management Association’s (ICMA) next board meeting having been elected as vice president of the organisation that “advances professional local government worldwide”. The high-flying chief executive said it is “a great honour” to represent Frankston and Australia in a global capacity. “I am very proud to showcase our region a destination for tourism and investment, and to learn from other local government authorities,” Mr Hovenden said in a statement.…
WEEKEND train services will run all night on Friday and Saturday nights on the Frankston line from January next year as part of a public transport trial announced by the Labor state government. On Thursday last week Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan announced a one-year trial, starting on New Year’s Eve, to gauge demand for weekend night-time services across Victoria’s rail network including the Frankston line. “A world-class city deserves 24-hour public transport. It’s good for our economy, for shift workers and for people who want to get home safe after a night out,” Ms Allan said. “People who live…
THERE is such a thing as a free lunch for disadvantaged pupils at Mahogany Rise Primary School in Frankston North thanks to dedicated volunteers who make sandwiches for children who arrive at school without food for lunch. The Frankston North school is one of 16 schools throughout Victoria to benefit from volunteer-run service called Eat Up founded by Lyndon Galea three years ago. The 28-year-old social entrepreneur had the idea to provide free lunches for pupils in need when he read about some children at schools in his hometown of Shepparton going without lunch. “That just came as a complete…