EXCLUSIVE
A Wyndham councillor may be investigated by the Local Government Inspectorate after being caught out claiming to have qualifications he does not hold.
At a special council meeting on April 20 to consider the council’s draft 2015-16 budget, Harrison ward councillor Glenn Goodfellow stated he was a certified practising accountant.
It has since been revealed that Cr Goodfellow is not a registered CPA.
Cr Goodfellow was also recently suspended from the Country Fire Authority after an altercation with fellow members of the Truganina brigade.
After being asked questions by Star Weekly, Cr Goodfellow told a council meeting on May 25 that he may have mistakenly said he was a CPA at the April 20 meeting.
“I may have led the meeting to believe that I held a CPA qualification,” he said. “I made this statement during a heated debate and point of order from Cr [Intaj] Khan.
“I meant to say I was a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and held other financial, business and accounts-related qualifications.
“It was not my intention to mislead the meeting in any way and I sincerely apologise for any confusion this may have caused.”
Cr Goodfellow’s admission came just days after he told Star Weekly that “at no point did I say I was a CPA”.
“What I said was that I was in a position as a financial accountant and councillor elected since 2008 to comment on the budget,” he said.
A complainant, who asked to remain anonymous, said the issue would be reported to the Local Government Inspectorate in the belief Cr Goodfellow had breached the Local Government Act.
“You might make a mistake when speaking, but a point of order was raised and he had the opportunity to disclose that he made a mistake,” the complainant said.
“Under the Local Government Act, you can’t mislead the chamber.”
A CFA spokeswoman confirmed that a volunteer recently received a number of sanctions, including a membership suspension following improper conduct.
The organisation’s policy is not to name the members involved in such procedures, but Star Weekly can confirm that in this case it is Cr Goodfellow.
“CFA quickly addressed the incident and ensured support for those affected,” the spokeswomen said.
“CFA has a duty of care with respect to the health, safety and welfare of all members and equally expects all members to adhere to the volunteer code of conduct.”
