Would you apply for this job? Of course you wouldn’t.
No matter what your thoughts are about the current batch of City of Greater Bendigo councillors, what is above is the truth –it is their life, what they face every day.
Take it from someone who has worked closely with councillors of all creeds, colours and abilities in at least two states, and someone who was once the son of a councillor – being a local government representative is not fun.
Yes, there are rewards, which is why usually-sane people put their hands up to run for council, but those rewards are definately not financial.
I am going to say something now that most who know and work with me will see as surprising – I think councillors should be paid more.
If I was made prime minister tomorrow, teachers and nurses would be paid like doctors and schools and hospitals would be palaces.
CFA and SES volunteers would have free transport and university and TAFE fees would be tax deductible.
While that won’t happen (much to the relief of RBA governor Glen Stevens), the common thread is community service (apart from the uni thing which is aimed at making us a cleverer country).
Most people, especially in regional areas, become councillors for one reason – to help the community, whether it be in a general community sense or to push one issue. They do not run as a career choice.
State and federal politicians have, for the most part, the same motivations. Unfortunately, a lot of them see stars in their eyes, become greedy and see every day purely as an opportunity to further their careers.
Councillors need to be paid more for two main reasons.
Firstly, they need to be properly compensated for the work they do.
Councillors are hardly ever home. If they happen to pop home to share a couple of moments with their loved ones the phone rings, or someone pops over for an urgent chat.
They work hard trying to take in all the information they can in a short time so they can be confident of making the right decisions.
They attend a countless number of community meetings and events and, in some instances, travel endlessly to get there.
Secondly, we need to attract quality people to vote for.
Criticism of councils across the state is almost as popular as bank bashing, so we need to do something about it.
We need to make something in the job attractive. They don’t get weekends like most of us, they don’t enjoy the buzz phrase of the noughties – ‘work-life balance’– and they certainly don’t do their health any good.
By doubling the wages, as has been suggested in this week’s Bendigo Weekly, at least councillors will not be disadvantaged financially.
Over to you.
