When Federation Council engaged Professor Joseph Drew, it cost $125,000. At Cessnock Council, unelected bureaucrats are doing something similar—but the council is yet to tell the community how much they’ve spent. I certainly wasn’t asked if I wanted $125,000 of my rates spent on a report that will predictably say what council wants: a special rate increase. Meanwhile, the former mayor was proudly reporting surpluses and financial stability, and the newly elected Quintin King asked he was told “everything is fine, nothing to see here.” Last election, Cessnock voters demanded change, transparency, and accountability. So far, we’ve seen more of the...