From what I've seen (first hand and from a distance) , local council members tend to be people who think they are important but don't quite have the brains to make it into the big time of State or Federal politics , there have been a few exceptions over the years such as Bob Brown in Cessnock and eventually Charlton , but I don't think Eric Fitzgibbon will be remembered as fondly as he was well out of his depth as member for Hunter. The reality is of course that local councils are not really needed at all , most issues would be far more simply dealt with by an administrator working to a set of guidelines - it would be a lot easier for the developers then as well , they'd only have to grease one palm.

Sounds like we need Bruce out here in the sticks. People with a can do attitude who can regularly crash thru red tape are indeed a rare breed. It's whose agenda they are pushing that seems to matter. Not sharing a meal table is chicken feed to what goes on in our Council.They have a job to be in one room with one another out here!

Jeff, NCC Councillors "allowance" $423 per week. A nice supplement to a journalists wage. Some families live on that income! Why not give it a go?

I think all Government bodies, whether Local, State or Federal - need a good kick up the backside these days. There seems to be very little Unity. Each person has their own agenda and each think they are the most important. I'de like to remind them that they are ALL paid by US. And we demand to have a more adult approach to them carrying out their duties, in the legal and transparent manner, to which we expect things to happen. All the underhanded tactics are not acceptable for people WE pay good money to. No I am not simple - this is what we should all expect! I am sick to death of the lot of them. They are playing with all our lives.

What I really think about Port Stephens council would not be legal to print though it seems to me that some people get elected to public office simply to grease their own wheels.

One form of government has to go. I feel we are over governed. Whather it be the State or Local government, one has to go.But on the other hand if local gov. was abolished, the present state government, does not seem to recognise any other region than the Sydney basin.

Using councils as training arenas for politics and beyond is perhaps a distraction from what they are supposed to be there for? On the topic of loathing each other -its pretty well known that putting any group of people in a leaky boat detached from a safe shore will result in conflict. That conflict will usually result from everything that determine who they are, why they are there and what personal values they have ? So cabin fever will usualy result in a surviver type mentality of push-pull, last person standing wins? Humans do not have a good track record for mutual respect, tolerance and progressive cooperation - so why would councils be any different? Intolerance may be the biggest enemy here? Every other human trait just feeding the intolerance monster? In my opinion , those that allow themselves to be distracted by any feeling towards their fellow councilors - should not be there in the first place. Personality profiling to identify those unable to sustainably contribute should isolate those that should not be eligable to stand . ( until they undergo therapy that teaches them good behaviour and they are assessed as suitable?) What can we do? ps I,m also not perfect.

Even the most dysfunctional council should be able to get things done. The great advantage a council has it can get tangible things done which have a real impact within a short period of time. Whether it's road maintenance, getting a road built, landscaping of the city, funding a festival etc it can all happen witha "can do" attitude. State or Federal politicians operate 'big picture" with all the trade offs across a state or nation - it must be soul destroying to be a pollie at that level. I don't know how it comes to this but I suspect politics gets in the way of operating for ratepayers. many councillors have their eyes on a bigger prize - like state and federal members.

I am in no doubt, there a certain number of reasons persons enter Local Government: 1 Messiah Syndrome- thinking they can do good and bring about change but without any expertise. 2. Change the World Syndrome - normally Politically based, using the Council as a platform and the ratepayers money to push a certain agenda to alter peoples thinking. Whats in it for me Syndrome_ The Corruptable who see opportunities to collect personal 'donations' regardeless of the outcomes. The Look-at me' syndrome who see this at an opportunity to strut their stuff and glory in the adulation of the Sycophants and finally The Full of Good Intentions Syndrome. Those who enter, with every intention of helping, assisting to bring about a fair deal and a better Council for the Ratepayers. In the end however, as in the jungle, people form factions for strength to a point where they become opposed to anything else but their point of view which makes the whole process a joke and the Councils become a cluster of dysfunctional, petty, squabbling, childish deal doing brokers, propped up with ratepayers money. This will continue as long as Voters display the same apathy as these people count on.

Basically, it's all our fault, we are the people who go to the polling stations on election day and vote for the people who are supposed to represent us. It's time to change our voting patterns and show that we will no longer tolerate the incompetence that we have become used to. Unfortunately, as the current federal election will demonstrate, the great unwashed, will vote for either Liberal or Labor, with a few voting for alternative parties such as the greens. We have two choices, stay at home on election day - wouldn't it be a slap in the face if no one showed up to vote, unfortunately, the pollies would have voted for themselves and carry on regardless. Or, we could all pick a party such as the sex party or something equally silly and all vote for them. Maybe then the message would start to get through. Maybe ...