Local governments are losing potential female candidates because of bullying according to the Local Government Women's Association (ALGWA). Barriers – including childcare, male hostility, meeting times, travel, harassment, a bullying culture were stopping women from running for election according to ALGWA representative Coral Ross. At the same time as allowing this bullying behaviour to thrive and stop quality candiates from standing for elections, Local Governments are asking ratepayers to increase their rate payments. The only way people will accept paying more to local government entities is if they have confidence that those elected representatives conduct themselves in a professional and responsible manner, that the very best people are managing the community finances and that a willingness to improve standards exists across the board. This does not seem to be the case at the moment.
Former sex discrimination commissioner Kate Jenkins released a report with 28 'Set the Standard' recommendations for Federal Parliament. Rolling these recommendations into local government would benefit the ratepayers by having greater confidence that the elected representatives were contributing in a manner focussed on the welfare of all members of the community. Some of these strategies were to have a 10-year strategy with targets to achieve gender balance in political parties; eliminating language, behaviour and practices that are sexist or otherwise exclusionary and discriminatory; improving safety and respect in the parliamentary chambers, and; codes of conduct for parliamentarians and parliamentary precincts. Additionally, external cultural reviews conducted by workplace conflict experts and some mechanisms to sanction those who choose to ignore the expected behavioural benchmarks, would be a great start. I think every ratepayer would expect nothing less.
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