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Councils Make Page One

Monday, 18 April, 2006

Sydney's Daily Telegraph has made one of its rare excursions in to reporting on local government with a review of credit card use by council mayors and general managers. The story is very much in the "shock, horror" school of journalism, detailing examples of cards being used for Italian expresso machines, drycleaning, $1400 dinners and exotic junkets.

Amongwhat the Tele called "the more intriguing purchases" was a $1550 Leda espresso coffee machine purchased by Fairfield general manager Alan Young last August for Mayor Nichola Lalich's office. Mr Lalich also went to China in April 2005, racking up bills including $1082.62 at the Xing Guo Hotel.