Dundee City Council stumbling at the first fence of the Olympia inquiry doesn’t augur well.
If basic details in advance are shrouded in secrecy and silence, what will happen when it actually begins?
A step forward, it was reported, was taken with the appointment of “an experienced firm of solicitors”.
That’s a whole step forward? That’s moving about an inch, if you ask me.
The inquiry was announced in the first week of March. Nearly eight months ago. And it has taken that long just to appoint solicitors?
Silence over Dundee Olympia inquiry
Much worse, though, is the council’s refusal to say any more about it.
Why wouldn’t they reveal who the firm is? Maybe there is a good reason – but they’re not telling that either. Just silence.
They know, we all know, that when they keep secrets it looks dodgy. It puts doubt and suspicion into people’s minds.
This inquiry was meant to dig into the secrets and failings of the Olympia debacle, not add more secrets and failings.
Councillors must surely realise things like this damage their personal reputations.
They carry the can.
They are overseeing the spending of your money on an inquiry into your leisure centre. You have a right to know the details of something you’re paying for.
The Lib Dem group on the council piped up to make some comment. Fair play to them. That’s what a councillor should do.
But the ruling group, those who take the decisions – nothing.
Why don’t they ever comment on significant matters? Why don’t they ever have opinions or observations about important things going on in Dundee?
And don’t give me the “process ongoing, not appropriate to comment” excuse. We all know that’s a deflection.
They could comment on what they’d like an inquiry to look into. Or not look into. Or how long they think it should take.
Or why the name of the solicitor firm isn’t being revealed.
I think they do see how bad this makes them look, but in their arrogant complacency take your votes for granted so much that they don’t care.
There should be standards set for this inquiry right from the start. And this was a chance to show everything about it will be transparent.
Some of those luxuriously salaried council officers might prefer that this whole sorry saga isn’t too closely examined.
Making sure that doesn’t happen should be the job of councillors, those who are only in place because they were given an X next to their name – by you – in the voting booth.
They must watch what’s going on and reveal – to you – what it is.
If I were a councillor I’d be throwing grenades, demanding: “Tell the city everything about this inquiry. If there are reasons why we can’t reveal the identity of the solicitors, then explain that.”
That’s what an independent councillor could do, one who doesn’t take orders from a party boss.
Have our current councillors done that? No.
Will they do it as the inquiry goes on?
What do you think?
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