Inner West councillors accuse staff of spying on emails, phone calls

·

Councillors at the troubled Inner West Council have accused administration staff of spying on their mail, email and phone calls and have resorted to communicating through private email accounts to avoid surveillance, according to a Sydney Morning Herald exclusive.

The claims will be discussed at a council meeting this week at the behest of long-serving councillor, John Stamolis, who said councillors’ mail had been intercepted or withheld, and staff were being quizzed about why they had spoken to a councillor on the phone.

“It has been appalling,” Mr Stamolis told the SMH.

Councillor, John Stamolis, has issued a motion about the accusations. It will be discussed in a meeting this week. Photo: Ciao Magazine.

Inner West Council denied any such monitoring occurred. A spokeswoman said councillors’ emails were stored on a secure system which could be accessed if needed under the relevant legislation, but no access had been granted to the archive since the amalgamated council was formed in 2016.

But numerous councillors expressed concerns about monitoring of their communications.

Veteran Liberal councillor, Julie Passas, said she had called a council staff member about a personal matter and “within two minutes” a member of the council’s senior management called asking why she had phoned a council staffer.

Cr Passas also complained that mail was being intercepted and withheld. She said she had not received written correspondence from constituents in eight months, and angry residents had approached her in the street asking why she hadn’t responded to their letters.

Veteran Liberal councillor, Julie Passas, has added her voice to the complaints.

“I was absolutely shocked,” she said. “In all my years on council I’ve never come across this. It’s totally unnecessary. We are supposed to be working together for the good of the municipality.”

In his motion to be discussed at this week’s council meeting, Cr Stamolis says “it is not clear who authorises this monitoring, for what purpose and to what extent this occurs.”

“Nor is it known how any information gained through monitoring is used by Inner West Council and by whom,” he says.

“It appears that the systems, processes and practices used to do this monitoring are quite developed. It would be of value to know what these systems, processes and practices are.”

The Inner West Council has been embroiled in turmoil amid the departure of its chief executive, Michael Deegan, who formally resigned last week after a month of negotiations about ending his contract.

The SMH asked Mr Deegan whether he was aware of councillors’ emails being spied upon by staff but he did not respond before deadline.

An Inner West Council spokeswoman said: “Inner West Council does not and has never monitored councillor emails or phone calls.” She referred questions about the mayor’s communications to Cr Byrne, who declined to comment on the matter.

Source: Sydney Morning Herald.

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

Alumni excellence celebrated in style at Oakleigh Grammar

Oakleigh Grammar has inducted two more former students into the prestigious Alumni Hall of Fame.

A pilgrimage to heroic Souli: Remembering the legacy of the Souliotes and Souliotises

Nestled in the rugged mountains of Epirus, Souli is more than just a historical site—it is a symbol of resilience and bravery.

The First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea: Defining Orthodoxy and preserving Hellenism

The First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, convened in 325 AD by Emperor Constantine the Great, stands as a pivotal event in Christian history.

From PAK to PASOK: Sakis Gekas to lecture on anti-dictatorship resistance in Toronto

The talk will feature some of the key moments of the anti-dictatorship struggle and its manifestations in the public sphere.

US urges EU to abandon protections for feta and other regional products

The United States is ramping up pressure on the European Union to eliminate its system of geographical indications.

You May Also Like

Greek Atlas League presents tribute concert to Mikis Theodorakis

Greek Atlas League is presenting a tribute concert to celebrate the life of one of Greece's most influential singers, Mikis Theodorakis.

Mitsotakis on seven months of achievements: What we promise, happens

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis uploaded a video on Twitter showing the campaign promises his government fulfilled the last seven months. https://twitter.com/kmitsotakis/status/1227249285361815552 They include the...

Victoria to enter seven day snap lockdown from 8pm tonight

Victoria will enter its sixth lockdown from 8pm tonight in response to unexpected new mystery cases of COVID-19 in recent days.