The Nationals Senator for New South Wales John Williams has commended the Armidale Dumaresq Council for being proactive on the issue of insolvency industry reform.

Senator Williams instigated the Senate Economics References committee inquiry into the role of administrators and liquidators in company collapses, and Armidale Dumaresq Council Deputy Mayor Jim Maher had given evidence.

The Armidale community was stung by the destruction of the YCW Leagues Club which had been gutted through the actions of banned liquidator Stuart Ariff and associates.

“In his evidence to the committee, Clr. Maher said alarm bells should have been going off for five years with Stuart Ariff, and the industry should not be allowed to self-regulate. He is totally correct.

This inquiry found unscrupulous activities, suspect practices and accusations of blatant overcharging of fees, which has led to 17 recommendations going forward to Government.

Armidale Dumaresq Council has passed a motion calling on the Federal Government to accept the recommendations, and it has also urged the NSW Local Government Association and Australian Local Government Association to lobby the Government.

The report of this committee will not sit on a shelf gathering dust. To allow this to happen would be to let down the people of Armidale and every other person who has been hurt by the rogue element in the insolvency industry”, Senator Williams said.