Steve Holland was the youngest ever mayor of Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. Upon entering the role he discovered that, rather than the councillors running the bureaucracy, it was the bureaucracy that ran the councillors.
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Intro
2:25 The Deep State in Council
7:58 Dilution of Democracy
10:29 The recalcitrant Bureaucracy
11:39 Labor rigging the game
14:10 4 years to plant trees
19:11 Why politics?
23:37 Why council?
29:11 Fighting the cash-ban policy
33:14 The source of unrequested bad policies
37:19 Deep state motivations
40:22 Local Government is Libertarian
45:02 Aussies’ Stockholm syndrome
47:20 The Authoritarian vs Libertarian political axis
52:52 The immigration issue
1:09:22 Australia’s low economic complexity
1:12:00 Mother of all recessions
1:13:50 Who would fight in war for Australia?
1:14:50 Social contract broken
1:22:22 Steering the ship in a better direction
1:33:21 Libertarians getting involved
1:38:38 Government in Tbilisi, Georgia
1:41:33 Australia dragged into US wars
1:50:20 Questioning power
1:51:33 Time for libertarians to fight for liberty
This interview is fascinating, especially considering it comes from someone who spent most of his tenure as mayor defending bureaucracy at every turn. He colluded with the former CEO to suspend a colleague who called out a violation of the flag policy (using ratepayer funds to install pride flags across all offices) and routinely pushed officer recommendations to fellow Councillors without question. Worst of all, he provided the outgoing CEO with a glowing reference, helping him secure a comfortable job up north at the end of it all. Now, likely still living at home with his parents, he spends excessive time criticising a new Council that has shown it is willing to lead and challenge the bureaucracy. Let’s hope Liberty Itch does not follow his example on censorship and begins eliminating comments that do not align with his so-called views. Articulate? Sure. But he is a political opportunist, more interested in building his profile than standing for anything substantial.
Can you please better explain your accusation? You say Steve "colluded" with the CEO to suspend a colleague? By 'colleague' do you mean a colleague of yours? Or do you mean one of Steve's colleagues; meaning, a fellow councillor? Or do you mean a council employee; ie a member of the bureaucracy? Then you say this colleague called out a violation of the policy to install pride flags in council offices. So, doesn't that mean that this person called out an office for NOT installing a pride flag? Is that what you mean when you say he defended the bureaucracy at every turn? He defended an office that did not put up a pride flag? You mention that ratepayer funds were being used to install these flags. If you are inferring that is a grotesque waste of money, irrespective of how little it costs, I personally agree with you. But I cannot understand the relevance to your accusation? Regarding the 'collusion', in the interview Steve explains how the CEO is the conduit between the councillors and bureaucracy. So when you say Steve "colluded" with the CEO, what are you accusing him of doing differently to any other normal day-to-day interaction? Then, you said "worst of all" Steve provided the CEO with a good reference. But in the interview Steve said he was happy with how things worked with that CEO. Why would it have been better for Steve to stab the guy in the back and give him a bad reference, especially if that would not be true? Finally, you criticise Steve for criticising the new council. But you give no examples of what he has criticised and how he is wrong? I am not saying you are wrong. I am just unclear on the accusation you are making? And I do not see how the accusations relate to, or rebut, the arguments Steve made in the interview?
What an unbelievable disservice to young people that they will have to pay for the current fiscal mismanagement of the country. Buying a house is a pipedream for many. Another reason young people feel no buy in to Australia.
So articulately put by Steve Holland. Great interview.