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Luke Foley wants ban on property developers and agents being councillors Luke Foley wants ban on property developers and agents being councillors
(34 minutes later)
NSW opposition leader Luke Foley wants to ban property developers and real estate agents from being local councillors. Luke Foley, leader of the Labor opposition in New South Wales, wants to ban property developers and real estate agents from being local councillors.
Related: Auburn ratepayers want deputy mayor Salim Mehajer sacked over weddingRelated: Auburn ratepayers want deputy mayor Salim Mehajer sacked over wedding
Foley has also called on the NSW government to reverse the decision to let councillors vote on planning controls that could benefit them.Foley has also called on the NSW government to reverse the decision to let councillors vote on planning controls that could benefit them.
The member for Auburn said the government must legislate the ban before next year’s local government elections, amid the controversy surrounding Auburn deputy mayor Salim Mehajer.The member for Auburn said the government must legislate the ban before next year’s local government elections, amid the controversy surrounding Auburn deputy mayor Salim Mehajer.
“Developers shouldn’t be sitting in judgment of their own developments at a local government level – the conflict of interest is just too great,” Foley said on Monday.“Developers shouldn’t be sitting in judgment of their own developments at a local government level – the conflict of interest is just too great,” Foley said on Monday.
Mehajer’s recent wedding extravaganza, for which he blocked off an entire street without authorisation, has prompted scrutiny of his political and business agenda as Auburn’s deputy mayor.
It led to a motion at last week’s Auburn council meeting to have Paul Toole, the minister for local government, investigate his conduct but it failed to win support.
Auburn mayor Ronney Oueik is also a property developer.
“All provisions of the Local Government Act regarding pecuniary interests are currently being reviewed,” Toole said in a statement last week.
Foley said it was time to give the community a voice on mayoral leadership. “We should remove any undue influence from council elections with well overdue campaign finance reform,” he said.