Australia - AN anti-fluoride lobby will pack Warrnambool City Council's meeting chambers

Fluoride lobby stack
SHANE FOWLES
October 8, 2007
AN anti-fluoride lobby will pack Warrnambool City Council's meeting chambers tonight in another effort to gain councillors' support to keep fluoride out of the city's water.
More than 70 protesters took placards to the council's last meeting in September, calling for it to lobby the State Government for a local referendum on the move.
Council chief executive Lindsay Merritt has ruled out backing the anti-fluoride campaign, claiming the movement speaks for only a minority of city residents.
He can expect to again be quizzed on aspects of the controversial issue tonight.
However, through changes to question time procedures, it could well be the last time that the council is asked to assist a push for a public vote on fluoride.
The council has again tightened its local laws, despite adopting new meeting procedures in 2004 for the next 10 years.
The changes dictate that a question will only be answered if it is:
# Not repetitive of a question already answered;
# Not asked to embarrass a councillor or staff member;
# A succinct question and not a `statement'.
The draft law outlines that questions and answers be kept to a minimum, with written answers to be given only when research is needed. People can be thrown out of meetings and fined $500 for ignoring directions of the chairman.