The federal and state government couldn’t jump over the Constitution, the law has to comply with the Constitutional principle. Therefore, some local governments don’t mind and don’t care about the Constitution, some City Councils have the own law, even the bush law. The Mayor is like an emperor and councilors are the like officers of the tiny dynasty in the democratic country, some city councils imposed the ugly law to the local resident.
The local government independently manages finance and local services as the rubbish collection, council rate, take care of the park, carpark, wildlife in the small area, the shopping center…however, some city council jumped over the limit, the mayors and councilors decided the own law, some conflicted against the Constitution and national interest. In Australia, the major councilors of Jarra in Melbourne, Marion Council in Adelaide, city Council of Sydney voted to scrap the Australia Day (January 26), the leftist Mayor Dr. Brad Petiit of Fremantle’s council in Western Australia moved the Australia Day in 2017…Despite, the Australia Day is the national event, even federal parliament couldn’t eliminate it.
In the UK, the council of Newhaven displayed the statue of Ho Chi Minh at the public place, although, Ho Chi Minh was the genocide, he killed 1,700,000 people, he was the rapist and famous pedophile. There is not only in the council of the United Kingdom, Ho Chi Minh’s statue appeared in France, India, Mexico…recently, in Japan, city, and Mayor of Mimasaka did…those city councils honored Ho Chi Minh’s statue insult the human rights, democracy, and conflict against the nations.
The tiny emperor and its dynasty of local government have free to decide the law in the tiny empire, the law easily created and passed with the major councilors just hand up and the resolution is done then imposing into the local resident. Some city councils increased the rate themselves after the major councilors agreed, so the resident reacts, but the council ignores, the council’s resolution is like the decrees of the emperors in medieval. Some city councils misused the power, they released the bush law, so the residents don’t know but they have to comply.
In Australia, the federal and state government have the portfolio as Minister for Local Government, therefore, they have no power to stop the council jumps over the limit and misuse the authority. Recently, in Western Australia, the city councils hunger money, they apply the parking time in the shopping centers, many shoppers, and supermarket workers to be fined, even parking car outside the shopping carpark to be fined too, the parking and fine become the epidemic in Australia. The media broadcast and the people reacted the ugly law of some Councils about the carpark, but they ignored. The Bush law of some city councils confuse the local resident, not in the shopping centers, but outside, the councils could issue the fine ticket. Therefore, when the council fined, any complaint is nothing, even coming to the office, email to the officials or email to the mayor, they ignore. The fine is like the emperor’s decree in medieval (*)
The misused power of some city councils raised the grave concern about the democracy, the Constitution respects. However, the emperors (mayors) and its dynasties snub the public, they could decide any unreasonable law, including to make a profit by the fine. The misused authority’s council has become the bizarre practice in the democratic countries. The federal, state government need to overhaul the role of the city council, actually, the government confirms the limited power of council, mayor, and councilors. The proposal of the government may have the LOCAL GOVERNMENT OMBUDSMAN or the LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION to watchdog and warn of punishing the councils break the law, jumping over the authority. The arrogant councils are the negative practice in the democratic countries, the nation needs to remove and limit the local government’s power, mostly, the local residents upset and even outrage./.
(*) The write’s wife parked on a street with a permitted sign as many years, but on July 4, 2018, Belmont city council fined $40. We came to office complained, they advised email to the office, but they have never replied, at least we emailed to Mayor Phil Marks, therefore, he didn’t respond. Later, the council sent the final notice added more $19. It is a small amount, but our case proved the arrogant attitude of the Emperor in a tiny dynasty.
(thedawnmedia.com)