Moore name claims

By Ed Merrison
KNOX mayor Jenny Moore was implicated last week in Cr Garry Scates’s scheme to register the business name of a ratepayers’ group.
The Knox Reform Coalition announced on Wednesday, 2 November that Cr Moore was directly involved in what it called a “plot to steal the name” of the group.
“The mayor was in this disgraceful episode up to her neck,” KRC chairman Richard Thomas said.
Mr Thomas said his group searched records at Business Affairs because it wanted to establish if and when Cr Scates registered the business name Knox Reform Coalition. The records showed that Cr Moore, along with Cr Scates, registered the name on 13 October.
“She was an accomplice of Cr Scates in this scam to try to gag debate over the performance of the council she leads.
“Cr Moore apparently thinks it is morally acceptable to register the name that a genuine community group has been using for more than six months.
He said this year’s elections would go down in history as the “dirty tricks” campaign.
“Instead of a healthy democratic debate we are seeing every trick in the book used to mislead voters and destroy the democratic process,” he said.
Cr Moore confirmed that she registered the name with Cr Scates, but denied there was any plot.
“This issue is about highlighting incompetence. It shouldn’t be a distraction from community issues,” Cr Moore said.
Cr Moore is listed on the extract of business names as a “Ceased Owner”, having withdrawn her name on 21 October, four days before Cr Scates announced his proprietorship at a council meeting.
Cr Moore withdrew her name because she was not standing for reelection, and said people should not dwell on the matter.
“There’s some great stuff happening in Knox so let’s focus on that and not on this silly little issue,” she said.
Cr Scates also downplayed allegations of a “plot”.
“The whole purpose was to show (the KRC’s) incompetence and how unprofessional they are, and that’s worked. What conspiracy is there? Zero,” he said.
Cr Scates said the KRC was using the controversy over the business name to mask a lack of policies.
“This is just camouflage used to get away from the main game, which is what are (the KRC’s) policies, what are their strategies and what do they stand for?
“Where are they going to cut the rates and how will they manage it?” he said.
Cr Scates said the council had achieved good results and these were “on the table”, documented in annual reports for anyone to see.
He said ratepayers deserved to know more about the KRC and its aims.
“I challenge (the KRC) to come up with exactly who they are and what they stand for, and try to be as clear and transparent as the City of Knox.
“They are losing sight of what the election is about. It’s about issues and offering alternatives, and making those alternatives clear to ratepayers so they can make decisions,” he said.