Crime and Corruption Commission to hold public hearing into 2016 Gold Coast elections

QUEENSLAND’S chief corruption watchdog will a hold public hearing to determine if criminal offences were committed during last year’s Gold Coast City Council elections.

QUEENSLAND’S chief corruption watchdog will hold a public hearing to determine if criminal offences were committed during last year’s Gold Coast City Council elections.

The Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) hearing will investigate candidate conduct in the lead-up to the March 2016 poll.

The Operation Belcarra probe was opened in July after the Gold Coast Bulletin published more than 60 reports under a “Trojan Council” banner, exposing a bloc during the independent elections.

The CCC’s seven-day hearing, which will be streamed live online, will be held in Brisbane from April 18-21 and April 26-28 and will be presided by the CCC chairman Alan MacSporran QC.

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate: “I will comply with any investigation.” Picture: Glenn Hampson

The Moreton Bay Regional Council and Ipswich City Council elections will also be put under the microscope.

“The purpose of the hearing is to gather information about possible criminal offences to support Operation Belcarra and to also canvass broader issues related to corruption and integrity in local government,” the CCC said in a statement yesterday.

A witness list is yet to be made public. According to the terms of reference published by the CCC, the hearings will investigate whether candidates in the Gold Coast, Moreton Bay and Ipswich local government elections:

The Gold Coast City Council elected at the March 19 poll Photo: Jerad Williams

• Advertised or fundraised for the election as an undeclared group of candidates.

• Provided an electoral funding and financial disclosure return that was false or misleading in a material particular.

• Have not operated a dedicated bank account during the candidates’ disclosure period to receive and/or pay funds related to the candidates’ election campaign.

The hearings will also:

• Examine issues or practices relating to groups of candidates, independence of candidates, election gifts and funding, conflicts of interest or material personal interests by councillors.

• Examine strategies or reforms to prevent or decrease actual or perceived corruption risks.

In a statement, Mayor Tom Tate, who remains overseas, yesterday said: “I will comply with any investigation.”

The CCC announcement came one year after the 2016 poll and 12 years after the Gold Coast City Council previously was the subject of an inquiry.

Division 4 councillor Kristyn Boulton received funds from the Fadden Forum. Photo: David Clark

Following last year’s election, Federal MP Stuart Robert admitted his Fadden Forum fundraising arm donated $30,000 each to candidates Kristyn Boulton and Felicity Stevenson.

Mr Robert denied any wrongdoing.

Nearly all candidates at the Gold Coast poll ran as independents. The Greens were the only political party to run endorsed candidates.

Independent mayoral candidate Penny Toland, a former Labor state candidate, received a $10,000 donation from the electrical division of the Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union. She said she returned the money.

Ms Toland was also alleged to have received in-kind gifts from the CFMEU. She has maintained she was unaware of the donation.

Some other Gold Coast election candidates were accused of receiving professional support from party-aligned PR lobbyists, campaign backing from party members and late funding from rich developers.

Originally published as Crime and Corruption Commission to hold public hearing into 2016 Gold Coast elections