Government to make councillors declare spouse's pecuniary interests
COUNCILLORS across Queensland will have to make their spouse's pecuniary interests public in changes to be announced by Minister Paul Lucas.
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COUNCILLORS across Queensland will have to make their spouse's pecuniary interests public in changes to be announced by Local Government Minister Paul Lucas tomorrow.
A spokesman for Mr Lucas confirmed the move tonight.
It comes following weeks of bickering between the State Government and LNP leader Campbell Newman over Mr Newman's register.
Amendments to both the Local Government Act and the City of Brisbane Act to reflect the changes are expected to come before State Parliament in coming months.
Mr Lucas said it was important all levels of government were transparent.
"This whole sordid saga of the last month or so has seen the former Lord Mayor dragged kicking and screaming into making the sort of disclosure that state MPs already make," he said.
"We clearly need to look at reform in the area.
Even Campbell Newman admits he should have disclosed his interests earlier.
"This further underlines the need for future examination of the issue when it comes to local government."
The move has been met with criticism from the State's peak council lobby group, however Local Government Association of Queensland CEO Greg Hallam said he believed it would discourage people from seeking office as a councillor.
"It is really a sad. reflection on the state of politics. The affairs of one person, Campbell Newman, and the politics associated with that are going to impact on every elected member in Queensland.
"It serves no public interest for these registers, which are already held and available to the CMC, police, the auditor-general and the council CEO be made public.
"There's a very good reason they weren't made public previously and that is to protect elected members' partners from unnecessary attention and aggravation by virtue of their business lives.
"This action doesn't strengthen our democracy, it weakens it."
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