Whitsunday council leader changes while Andrew Willcox on hustings

With Dawson hopeful Andrew Willcox officially on the hustings, it leaves the Whitsunday council’s top elected position open for a new seat-warmer pending the Federal Election outcome.

Whitsunday Regional Council will establish a new power structure this week to maintain stability with Mayor Andrew Willcox officially on the hustings now the federal election has been called.

Mike Brunker will step up as acting mayor in a divided vote before the council on Wednesday that reconsidered the rotational deputy mayors system.

He is the defacto acting mayor while Mr Willcox campaigns for the seat of Dawson.

A notice of motion hints the councillors consider Cr Brunker to be the man for the job.

The resolution was ultimately carried four votes to three, with Mr Brunker’s vote as chair the tie-breaker on the initial three-vote split.

Councillors John Collins and Michelle Wright also supported the motion.

Councillors Jan Clifford, Al Grundy and Gary Simpson were against the recommendation.

Mr Grundy argued voting for the resolution would be like changing the rules at halftime.

“Anyone of the councillors could step up and do the job,” he said.

Division 6 councillor Mike Brunker

Council documents had recommended Mr Brunker move into the mayor’s position during the Federal Election campaign.

“Cr Brunker has the following attributes that would provide that stability until such time as either Mayor Willcox returns to the role of mayor, or another mayor is elected,” the council documents state.

“Cr Brunker has 22 years experience as both councillor and mayor in this region.

“Cr Brunker has handed down 15 budgets (the deputy mayor will be handing down 2022-3023 budget as acting mayor).”

Mr Brunker will not have a deputy mayor while he takes on the acting mayor role.

If Mr Willcox is unsuccessful in his bid for Dawson, he will return to the council in six weeks and Mr Brunker will resign as deputy mayor.

The council will then appoint whoever it sees fit to take on the deputy mayor position.

If Mr Willcox is successful, there will be a by-election for mayor.

The Electoral Commission of Queensland states mayors and councillors do not need to resign their position if they run for another level of government.

“However, state members must resign before running,” it said.

“Should a member of a local government be successful in being elected to another level of government such as a federal seat, the member must then resign from council.”

The Whitsunday council in January – when speculation ramped up Mr Willcox would make a tilt at federal politics and before he was selected as the Dawson candidate – said it was likely the mayor would choose to take a leave of absence once the election was called.

“If the mayor takes a leave of absence for six weeks then the deputy mayor at that time will become acting mayor.

“The mayor will automatically cease being the mayor once he becomes a government member, which occurs when sworn in to federal parliament.

“To provide more certainty for council, if the mayor has won on the night of the federal election or shortly thereafter he would likely resign from the office of mayor, in which case the office of the mayor becomes vacant on that basis.”

A by-election, should Mr Willcox secure Dawson for the Coalition, must be completed within two months of his resignation as mayor.

“Any current councillor may run to replace the mayor in a by-election triggered by the mayor departing for federal politics,” the ECQ stated.

“The councillors do not have to resign nor must they take a leave of absence to run as mayor while remaining as sitting councillors.”

Originally published as Whitsunday council leader changes while Andrew Willcox on hustings