WA premier calls on councillor who tried to expense a drink at strip club to reconsider position

Wednesday, 26 November 2025 16:57

Senior members of the Western Australian government were scathing in their response to a councillor who claimed he accidentally walked into a strip club on a work trip.

The WA Premier says it was 'completely unacceptable' for a councillor to claim he accidentally walked into a strip club on a work trip.

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.

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.

Police Minister Reece Whitby has today dismissed his explanation, saying there were obvious signs the business was a strip club.

"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.

"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.

"My advice is when you're on official business, and your business is done, go to the hotel, go to sleep and stay there."

Premier Roger Cook said the incident was "completely unacceptable" and called on Jones to resign.

"The idea that you can use ratepayer funds to buy entertainment such as strippers and booze is completely unacceptable," he said.

"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."

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.

"It's definitely not where a councillor should be," Jones told Perth's 6PR radio yesterday.

"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."

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".

"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 council noted.

The reflection was sent in on November 19, and Jones said he booked himself in for the course at the earliest date in March.

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