Councillor trips up over travel

By Callan Date
STAUNCH anti-travel councillor Paul Richardson will use ratepayers’ money to fly to Brisbane for a conference next Monday week.
In somewhat of a back flip on his usual stance, Cr Richardson accepted an endorsement at Tuesday night’s council meeting to be Casey’s representative at the Collaborative Indigenous Policy Development Conference starting 1 May.
Before being elected to the council in 2005, Cr Richardson formed the Endeavour Hills Community Watchdog to keep an eye on council spending and behaviour.
He has constantly attacked ratepayer-funded trips as both a resident and now a councillor.
“I knew I would attract some criticism for this but it is very important that I go,” Cr Richardson said of his trip.
“I’m definitely against overseas travel and I don’t support sister cities. I am still anti-travel on irrelevant interstate trips.”
He said the Brisbane trip would “probably be the only one I ever take in my three years as a councillor”.
“I still maintain my anti-travel stance even though I am going on this one.
“Casey council will be paying for this – that’s the unfortunate thing.
“If there was another way I could have gone about it I would have done so,” Cr Richardson said.
He said he was unsure how much the trip would cost.
“I will bring back all the information that will benefit the City of Casey and all councillors around the table.”
Fellow councillors, including Mick Morland and Rob Wilson, encouraged Cr Richardson to attend the conference and bring back vital information for the city.
Councillor Lorraine Wreford said she supported attendance at relevant conferences as it enabled the city to grow and develop.
However, Cr Wreford said she was interested to hear that Cr Richardson would be going to Brisbane.
“I was totally surprised that councillor Richardson would ask to go to a conference in another state when he has actively campaigned against interstate and overseas travel,” Cr Wreford said.
Cr Richardson said he would stand by his decision to travel to Brisbane. “I still remain loyal to rate payers and I haven’t betrayed them in any form. I will remain accountable, visible and transparent,” he said.