<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The WA Premier says it was 'completely unacceptable' for a councillor to claim </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/nige-jones-city-of-joondalup-councillor-apologises-for-trying-to-bill-ratepayers-for-strip-club-beer/57b20df5-ca5e-440f-ab84-f1f0154dae89" rel="" target="_blank" title="he accidentally walked into a strip club on a work trip"><span>he accidentally walked into a strip club on a work trip</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>City of Joondalup Councillor Nige Jones visited the Crazy Horse Revue in Adelaide in August and then submitted an expense claim for costs associated with the conference, including the strip club beer.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He claimed the short visit to the establishment, which has a bright neon sign and a logo of a woman at the front, was a "genuine mistake" and he simply wanted a late-night beer before an early flight the next morning.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/social-media-ban-nsw-mp-john-ruddick-files-high-court-action-challenging-consitutionality/51042b13-e28f-4a32-b523-b32d927032af" rel="" target="_blank" title="NSW MP files court action challenging constitutionality of social media ban"><strong><span>NSW MP files court action challenging constitutionality of social media ban</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Police Minister Reece Whitby has today dismissed his explanation, saying there were obvious signs the business was a strip club.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I've seen the bright neon light of the dancing girl, that would tend to give it away. The poles would give it away, and the bikini lady would absolutely give it away," he told reporters.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"He's got his own ratepayers to answer to. I don't think he should have been in there in the first place, and to charge it to the ratepayers is extraordinary.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/western-australia-joondalup-nige-jones-accidentally-walked-into-strip-club-premier-police-minister-respond/8c627ee6-24e7-468c-b2a2-24745bb9bcb5" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"My advice is when you're on official business, and your business is done, go to the hotel, go to sleep and stay there."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Premier Roger Cook said the incident was "completely unacceptable" and called on Jones to resign.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The idea that you can use ratepayer funds to buy entertainment such as strippers and booze is completely unacceptable," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"That's not even meeting the pub test, that's going beyond that, that is fundamentally letting down the ratepayers of Joondalup in this situation, and that councillor should reconsider his position as a councillor on that local government authority."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/optus-triple-zero-outage-frankston-and-mornington-peninsula/3bc0233a-c38e-4e1e-aded-0b9661fbe057" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Vandals blamed for Optus outage that hit more than 14,500 customers</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Jones claimed he left the establishment after 20 minutes when he noticed a "skimpily dressed" woman, and he realised he was at a strip club.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It's definitely not where a councillor should be," Jones told Perth's 6PR radio yesterday.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I accept that, and I apologise to the ratepayers for that, but like I said, I didn't actually receive the reimbursement – the council picked up on it straight away."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Jones was censured by the council this month after the discovery and ordered to undertake an "education course on ethical decision making" and provide a "written reflection on his actions".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"His claim for reimbursement of an alcoholic beverage at the Crazy Horse Revue and attendance at this establishment while on city-funded travel does not meet the standards of conduct expected of a council member," the </span><a href="https://www.joondalup.wa.gov.au/awcontent/Web/Documents/Register-of-Behavioural-Breach-Complaints.pdf" rel="" target="_blank" title="council noted"><span>council noted</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The reflection was sent in on November 19, and Jones said he booked himself in for the course at the earliest date in March.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span></span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple App Store</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>.</span></em></strong></div></div>

SHARE:

Leave A Reply

Your email address will not be published.*