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Gill on Hinch has a win in court Congratulations Derryn for fighting for the rights of the little person.I think that the Magistrates and Judges suppressing ... more
Scared Driver on Double fatality in North Fitzroy Fabian, I agree that P platers should have a car that has a limit on how fast it can go to avoid speeding. However if they ... more
Janice on Hinch has a win in court Hey there Darren Can you look into power Bills.. We're all battingMy lord how do we live anymore..Please if anyone can give ... more
janet page on Hinch has a win in court Mylene, the only people who believe such B-S as you are stating are only trying to protect the low lives? more
Justin on Double fatality in North Fitzroy WOW this is terrible. I can't even make out the make and model of the vehicle. Did it have Air Bags ???Perhaps if it had ... more
Justin on Hinch has a win in court Hello Mylene... sometimes laws are in themselves evil and need to be opposed.We are not living in a totally Communist ... more
Mark on iPhone 4 hits Australia Do any of these stupid people realise it's just a telephone? Why not just wait until next week? Brains are just mush. more
mylene on Hinch has a win in court If you want to change the laws you do it legally through parliament not by breaking the law. Hinch has given the green light ... more
mylene on Double fatality in North Fitzroy I know that intersection like the back of my hand. If you have an accident thee you must be trying hard to do it. more
Me on Double fatality in North Fitzroy Another hoon off the road is all I can say. more
Josef on Double fatality in North Fitzroy All I can saw is serves them right. At least they didn't take any innocent people with them. more
Fabian on Double fatality in North Fitzroy Yet again we see the same situation over & over.Dont blame the cars. Blame the GOVT its about time we teach youg people how ... more
daniel on Hinch has a win in court good on ya darren stand strong for what u believe in name and shame all these ferrils. more
janet page on Hinch has a win in court I believe in every thing Derren Hinch fights for. And id like to see more people fight for our rights, the worst thing this ... more
JOHN from Heathmont on Hinch has a win in court So over Derryn and this court case. more
JOHN from Heathmont on Double fatality in North Fitzroy The sad thing is young people will not learn from this. Their bogan friends will put up a roadisde memorial and they will be ... more
Jenny B on Double fatality in North Fitzroy Tragic but at least this hoon sentenced himself and a person who stupidly wanted to go/be with him rather than any innocent ... more
Theo Nicolaou on Double fatality in North Fitzroy THIS IS JUST SO SO GETTING OUT OF CONTROL!! WHY DOES THE GOVERNMENT MAKE IT A LAW THAT ALL CARS MUST HAVE THE INTERLOCK ... more
Howson on Double fatality in North Fitzroy I have seen what those like them did to very very good innocent people. No one will ever convince me that they don't deserve ... more
Lenny on 'Fatties' need some tough lovin' Tough loving doesn't always work. That can be just more repetitive hurtful words & verbal abuse. Sometimes 'reality ... more

Doyle defends his Russian trip

Posted by: 3AW Mornings | 23 January, 2009 - 9:11 AM

New Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle has justified travelling to St Petersburg in Russia.

Doyle told 3AW's Neil Mitchell the benfits for Melbourne will be many as a result of he and a trade delegate taking business class flights to the other side of the world.

This was Lord Mayor Doyle last month: "It's a good commitment for me to make personally and to say to my councillors that they should be making no junkets. I may take the occasional day trip to Frankston. I think we know what the problems are here. My job is to stay here and work on the solutions."

Listen to the interview above and decide for yourself - has he justified the trip or is it something Melbourne simply doesn't need?

Blog comments

On Doyles trip what can you say, he is a politician- when they open their mouths what comes out but a load of self opinionated rubbish
which has no substance of truth

barry k Saturday 7 February, 2009 - 11:10 AM
SHAME ON YOU MR DOYLE !!

Another holiday for a bureaucrat at the public expense.

Mirek W. Friday 6 February, 2009 - 2:39 PM
Had no idea there was a sister city relationship, fantastic. Wish Perth had that. Typical Australia tall poppy syndrome expecting our public officers travel 24 hours on such important work sitting in business class.
I think it is fantasic.

Frank of Perth Sunday 25 January, 2009 - 9:00 AM
SHAME SHAME SHAME

NEWS at hand says the trip will cost $50,000. Robert Doyle said it was going to cost $20,000.

That's more then 12,000 a day.

I could live in in Russia for 2 years for $50,000.

A Business Class Return ticket costs ticket $4-6,000. Economy $2.500

Accommodation is free so where is the cost and benefit?

If it looks like a junket and costs a lot then it is a Junket.

Melbcity Friday 23 January, 2009 - 7:45 PM
Robert Doyle campaigned on a No Junkets policy. With just a month in the job he is off on a $20,000 Russian oddessy.

Whilst I support our sister city relationship of St Petersburg I seriously question the $20,000 per person price tag for a four day trip. I could live for a year in Russia for that amount of money.

I could do the trip for less then $5,000.

I guess his policy of No junkets is one of those non-core policies open to interpretation. Or is it a case of Lord Mayor over-board/Overseas.

Melbcity Friday 23 January, 2009 - 2:38 PM
So the gravy train is leaving the station. Didn't take Doyle long to stick is snout in the trough. So far he has given us a bogan ban, busker auditions, opening Swanston st to traffic and an all expenses paid business class trip to Russia. I suppose we are lucky he never became the Premier.

Robert, if your justification for this not being a junket because of the length of the flight and the temp. in Moscow, as a resident and rate payer I will more than happily stand in for you!

JT Friday 23 January, 2009 - 12:41 PM