Mackay mayor, councillors set to have random drug, alcohol tests
A Queensland council has voted in random drug and alcohol tests for its mayor and councillors but the debate has caused some cracks among the elected officials.
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Emotions frayed at Mackay Regional Council’s Wednesday meeting over its new policy to introduce random drug and alcohol testing.
The motion — introduced by Councillor Marty Bella and Councillor Fran Mann — was carried unanimously but not before a lengthy set of questions from Councillor Michelle Green over perceived “grey areas” in its application.
Ms Green argued the policy might fail to properly encompass when a councillor is on and off-duty and as such put a councillor at risk of unintentionally offending.
“Because of the very nature of the role of a councillor where there is often not defined start and finish times and our place of work is literally anywhere and everywhere, such a policy is difficult to create,” she said.
In another point of contention, she asked how a councillor might undergo testing while on duty after hours or out of the region.
“How would this policy be applied?” she asked.
“Who will perform the testing, where will the testing take place and what is your assurance of accurately calibrated equipment in that situation?”
Executive Officer David McKendry acknowledged complexities in the practical application of the policy.
“The practicalities of that would suggest it is something that we would have to investigate,” he said.
When Councillor Mann rose to speak in favour of the motion, she said she was confused to hear the policy held complexities.
“I’m just a bit confused because I felt the policy was quite simple and straightforward,” she said.
Councillor Green also said she was disappointed she had not been consulted on the policy, given her wide ranging experience with drug and alcohol testing in her former work in the mining sector.
Mr Bella spoke forcefully in favour of the policy and emphasised it was intended to stop both alcohol and drug consumption among councillors.
“I just wanted to highlight that it is also other drugs in this policy ... illicit drugs,” he said.
“There should be zero tolerance for those drugs at council events such as, just the local progress association meeting, charity balls, all of that sort of thing.
“It is not just alcohol, it is drugs.
“And those drugs, quite frankly, are illegal.”
When pressed after the meeting, Mr Bella intimated a councillor may have consumed an illegal drug in the past.
“There have been episodes where I believe there has been inappropriate conduct,” he said.
“There was inappropriate conduct.
“I did not do a drug test, I don’t know.”
Mr Bella said he had raised his concerns a “couple of times” with the mayor, but “nothing” had happened.
Mr Bella also spoke of a young man working behind a bar who may have been put into a situation of deciding whether or not to serve alcohol to an intoxicated councillor.
All councillors voted to adopt the policy, which comes into effect from today.
The vote makes the council the fourth in Queensland to implement random drug and alcohol testing for elected representatives following Ipswich, Rockhampton and Balonne.
Mr Bella queried why the policy had emerged from the council body and not from council leadership.
“I am disappointed in that regard but I am glad it got across the line,” he said.
Mr Bella also took a jab at Ms Green’s questions.
“To be as critical and then vote for it, it is like the old movies where they say, ‘no disrespect intended’ and then go ahead and disrespect,” he said.
“If the policy was so bad, why vote for it?”
Initial: Councillors could soon be subjected to random drug and alcohol tests to ensure they are in a “fit state” to undertake official duties and make decisions in the chamber for the Mackay community.
A proposal to introduce the zero tolerance tests will be debated in council on Wednesday in a move two councillors hope will set a standard for the rest of Queensland to follow.
Councillors Martin Bella and Fran Mann have introduced a motion to establish random testing three times a year with an oral or urine sample for drugs and a breath test for alcohol.
A BAC reading of 0.00 per cent must be returned to pass the alcohol test and the drug test must return a negative result for fives classes of drugs, namely cannabinoids (marijuana or hash), sympathomimetic amines (MDMA, ecstasy), opiates (heroin, morphine and codeine), cocaine and benzodiazepine (rohypnol, temazepam, serepax and valium).
Mr Bella and Mrs Mann argue in the pre-meeting document it would offer residents assurance councillors were operating with “clarity of thought”.
“Councillors feel as community leaders, it is inherent upon the mayor and all councillors that our behaviour at public events does not create a negative perception of council and that councillors are in a fit state to undertake official duties whether they are at public events or making decisions in the chambers on behalf of our community,” the council agenda document states.
“The residents of our region need to be assured of the clarity of thought that councillors apply to decision making.”
Council staff are already subjected to the random tests but a loophole has meant the Mayor and councillors have thus far been exempt.
Only three Queensland councils — Ipswich, Balonne and Rockhampton — have existing policies that include both staff and elected officials.
Mr Bella said other councillors and staff had collaborated to formulate the policy.
“We had input from a number of other councillors and from staff,” he said.
“It has been quite a while in development to try and get it right.
“Past experience has shown that there is a definite need for a policy like that.”
It is understood the push comes after at least one incident at a public event raised the concern of a Mackay community member.
The proposal would permit councillors to consume alcohol for “special occasions” or when attending conferences, functions and social events.
Mr Bella and Mrs Mann said the proposal could set a positive precedent for others councils throughout Queensland, many of which did not have testing requirements for elected representatives.
“In looking to other local government areas to see what their alcohol and other drugs policies contain, it has become very apparent that most councils in Queensland have not yet adopted an alcohol and other drugs policy specifically covering the Mayor and Councillors,” the document states.
“Councillors hope that we are setting a standard for the rest of Queensland to follow.”
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