From: Ray Norman
Date: Fri, 14 Oct 2016 09:41:36 +1100
To: Albert van Zetten <mayor@launceston.tas.gov.au>
Cc: Lisa Doolan <Lisa.Doolan@launceston.tas.gov.au>, "Vanessa Goodwin [Minister for the Arts]" <vanessa.goodwin@parliament.tas.gov.au>, "Peter Gutwein {Treasurer & Minister Local Govt.}" <peter.gutwein@parliament.tas.gov.au>, Will Hodgman <reception@tas.liberal.org.au>
Subject: Re: AGAIN: Deaccession, standards, the value of things and accountability
Dear Albert,
The reason I’ve written to you is because this issue is a ‘policy matter’ and not an ‘operational matter’ falling within the bailiwick of the General Manager. As Chairperson of the QVMAG’s governing body – the institution’s Trustees – it falls to you and the Aldermen to initiate and determine policy – plus oversee its implementation. The General Manager might well provide evidence of the expertise, ideally credentialed expertise, provided and relevant to the matters of concern here but it falls to you to comment upon, and defend if need be, policy matters.
That said, SECTION 65 of the Tasmanian Local Govt. Act 1993 does require/expect the General Manager to provide Aldermen with expert advice in regard to the determination of ‘policy decisions’. To refresh your memory of the Act says, I quote;
- “(1) A general manager must ensure that any advice, information or recommendation given to the council or a council committee is given by a person who has the qualifications or experience necessary to give such advice, information or recommendation…. (2) A council or council committee is not to decide on any matter which requires the advice of a qualified person without considering such advice unless the general manager certifies in writing that such advice was obtained and taken into account in providing general advice to the council or council committee.”
As the leader of the QVMAG’s ‘governing body’ I put it to you that it falls to you, along with your fellow aldermen, to represent your constituency – not to mention the QVMAG’s constituency in Tasmania, Australia and internally . Moreover, it falls to you to protect the legitimate interests of your constituency and especially so in regard to what they have invested in the QVMAG’s collections – and have done now for over 125 years. I say again, this is a non-trivial matter and most importantly, a policy matter.
Ultimately, given the somewhat extraordinary time lapses involved, and evident in this case, and arguably others too, all this amounts to a break down in representational governance and its accountability. Indeed, your apparent disinclination to hold yourself, or by extension council, accountable is concerning. It’s especially so when so much is at risk – and likewise is at stake, fiscally, socially and culturally.
This matter by itself points to serious concerns relevant to ‘the governance’ of the QVMAG and the issue of accountability. In fact, as you are aware, the QVMAG’s governance, and its appropriateness, has been ongoing issue, and something of an ‘open sore’, for well over a decade.
Even when Council determines, as it has here a over year ago, that there’ll be a QVMAG governance body made up of appropriate experts, SECTION 62 (2) is apparently invoked – for bureaucratic convenience (?) – and the Aldermen’s/Trustee’s determinations apparently, on the evidence, become discretionary in regard to their application and/or urgency.
How might this be understood as representational accountability? Moreover, on what expert advice is being applied and relied upon in this circumstance – and whose? Indeed, how might the QVMAG in such circumstances be seen as anything other than a basically rudderless, self-assessing, cost centre with an annual $6 million recurrent budget?
Albert, I submit that it falls to you as Mayor on behalf of Council to deal with ‘policy matters’ albeit upon advice. Might I suggest in this case that you seek independent expert advice to assure yourself that Council is:
- Applying the appropriate standards relevant to the representational governance of the QVMAG;
- Operating with the advantage of appropriate expert advice in determining policy matters such as the accession and deaccession of items in QVMAG’s collections that are held in trust for ‘the public’; and
- Complying with the intentions of, and in the spirit of, Tasmania’s Local Govt. Act as it currently stands.
Regards,
Ray
Ray Norman
<zingHOUSEunlimited>
The lifestyle design enterprise and research network
WEBsite: http://www.raynorman7250.blogspot.com
CLICK HERE: http://www.launceston.tas.gov.au/lcc/index.php?c=69
LINK: http://nswmuseumsinquiry.blogspot.com.au/
“A body of men holding themselves accountable to nobody ought not to be trusted by anybody.” Thomas Paine
“The standard you walk past is the standard you accept ” David Morrison
zHu Electronic Communications Policy.
On 13/10/2016 1:42 pm, "Lisa Doolan" <Lisa.Doolan@launceston.tas.gov.au> wrote:
Dear Mr Norman,
I acknowledge and thank you for your email of 12th and 8th of October regarding the QVMAG deaccession policy.
I have forwarded this to the General Manager for comment.
Yours sincerely,
Albert van Zetten
MAYOR
Lisa Doolan, on behalf of the Mayor I City of Launceston
T 03 6323 3101 I www.launceston.tas.gov.au <http://www.launceston.tas.gov.au/>
From: Ray Norman 7250 [mailto:raynorman7250@bigpond.com]
Sent: Wednesday, 12 October 2016 3:45 PM
To: Mayor
Subject: AGAIN: Deaccession, standards, the value of things and accountability
Dear Albert,
I’ve been looking forward to your acknowledgement of my correspondence and/or your advice in regard to the status of the QVMAG deaccession policy in the broad context. In particular I have been looking for some evidence that independent ‘expert advice’ has been sought by, offered to or provided to the Trustees/Aldermen in regard to this and/or related matters. Moreover, I was writing to you seeking your advice in regard what standard/s are being applied in regard to this matter and in regard to collections under Council’s stewardship.
Given that it is reported that the QVMAG’s collections have been assessed to have a value in the order of $230 million, I put it to you that the stewardship falling to Aldermen/Trustees is serious, onerous and non-trivial. Nonetheless, it appears that you, and you on behalf of Council, are disinclined to either acknowledge that there is an issue deserving of your, or even Council’s, consideration or concern at this time. Likewise, it appears that you, and by extension Council, do not see this matter as being anything that’s worthy of your attention.
Therefore I believe that I’m entitled to characterise your/Council’s non-acknowledgement of my correspondence as Council’s acceptance of the status quo as being an example of best practice and offering a satisfactory level of accountability for a public collection held under Council’s stewardship.
Unless advised otherwise by you I will assume that I’m entitled hold and promote that point of view. I look forward to any advice you are able to offer in regard to this matter – to the contrary or otherwise.
Regards,
Ray
Ray Norman <zingHOUSEunlimited>
WEBsite: http://www.raynorman7250.blogspot.com
CLICK HERE: http://www.launceston.tas.gov.au/lcc/index.php?c=69
LINK: http://nswmuseumsinquiry.blogspot.com.au/
“A body of men holding themselves accountable to nobody ought not to be trusted by anybody.” Thomas Paine
“The standard you walk past is the standard you accept ” David Morrison
Forwarded Message
From: Ray Norman 7250 <raynorman7250@bigpond.com>
Date: Sat, 08 Oct 2016 16:38:48 +1100
To: Albert van Zetten <mayor@launceston.tas.gov.au>, Richard Mulvaney <Richard.Mulvaney@launceston.tas.gov.au>
Subject: Deaccession, standards, the value of things and accountability
Dear Albert & Richard,
Reading yesterday’s reports via FACEbook under the headline “Painting Blue Poles, worth $350m, should be sold to reduce national debt: Senator James Paterson” – http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-07/government's-$350m-painting-'should-be-sold-to-reduce-debt'/7911882 – flushed to the surface my memories of the QVMAG’s so-called “Deaccession Policy” questionably embedded as it is within the QVMAG’s “Collection Policy” – http://www.qvmag.tas.gov.au/upfiles/qvmag/cont/artgallery/07pi011_collection_policy.pdf – and passed by Council June last year.
What I recall most of all was the vociferous protestations against any suggestion that the policy was in any way inadequate or that it failed ‘Best Practice Test’. As I recall it was deemed to be both best practice and appropriate to QVMAG’s needs.
Richard, you will recall it has been demonstrated that essentially the same deaccession and disposal processes allows, and has allowed, material in the QVMAG’s custody, and under its stewardship, to be disposed of and unaccountably. For evidence of my concern June last year I remind you of my Open Letter at the time – see – http://openletter7250-1qvmag.blogspot.com.au/2015/06/qvmag-policy-determination-monday-june.html
You may also recall, to allay the criticism of the so-called “new collection policy” passed by council, you, Richard, gave an undertaking to review that policy if it was found to be inadequate. To my knowledge this has not been done and the policy on the QVMAG Website is clearly the same dysfunctional policy that despite SECTION 65 of Tasmania’s Local Govt. Act 1993 shows no evidence of being framed within the context of “expert advice” - presumably that’s experts with credentials – as required by the Act. If it had been it would be reasonable to expect that ‘best practice’ would be reflected in the the policy and the consequent administrative processes – the latter lacks articulation.
Against this background, and on the available evidence, the QVMAG’s collections are as vulnerable as ever to inappropriate and unaccountable dispersals/deaccession as they were before the so-called policy review over a year ago now. This is very concerning and especially so as neither the Trusteess/Aldermen nor operational management have seen their way clear to address the inadequacies of the policy nor the evident lack relevant of expertise demonstrated in the policies as published on the QVMAG’s website.
I raise the ABC News item now as a demonstration of the potential for such things as ‘political interference’ and the consequent ‘vulnerability of’ cultural property in so-called public collections. It’s especially so in regard to the cultural property held in ‘trust’ in the nation’s ‘public collections’ – the QVMAG’s collections among them.
I look forward to your advice in regard to this matter in a general sense and in regard to what ‘expert advice’ has been sought by, offered to or provided to the Trustees/Aldermen in regard to this and/or related matters in the light of national and interstate developments. Furthermore, I’d appreciate your advice in regard what standard/s are being applied in regard to this matter.
Regards,
Ray
Ray Norman
<zingHOUSEunlimited>
The lifestyle design enterprise and research network
WEBsite: http://www.raynorman7250.blogspot.com
CLICK HERE: http://www.launceston.tas.gov.au/lcc/index.php?c=69
LINK: http://nswmuseumsinquiry.blogspot.com.au/
“A body of men holding themselves accountable to nobody ought not to be trusted by anybody.” Thomas Paine
“The standard you walk past is the standard you accept ” David Morrison
zHu Electronic Communications Policy.End
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