Mark Bailey’s swipe at Paul Tully over lavish Ipswich council trips

A government minister has lashed spending by a council tour group of $200,000 on luxury hotels, helicopter and private jets on a trip to the US, Middle East and Europe.

Ipswich councillor Paul Tully

A senior State Government minister has accused Ipswich Labor councillor Paul Tully of “indefensible behaviour” and called for him to face questions over lavish overseas trips taken on the ratepayer dime.

New details of international trips taken by Cr Tully, former mayor Paul Pisasale and former council bureaucrats Carl Wulff and Jim Lindsay more than a decade ago were revealed this week.

The group spent almost $200,000 of ratepayer cash on luxury hotels, helicopter and private jets on a trip to the US, Middle East and Europe.

The Courier-Mail reported the trips in 2016 and revealed the council then spent $83,000 of ratepayer cash to prevent the release of details of it.

Mr Pisasale and Mr Wulff were jailed and Mr Lindsay was charged on unrelated matters.

Transport Minister Mark Bailey said Cr Tully – a supporter of the Labor Party – had “serious questions” to answer about how ratepayer cash was used.

Mr Bailey accused the long-serving councillor of “dodging and weaving like a boxer” when faced with questions about his conduct.

“There’s some very indefensible behaviour that was going on in the previous council,” he said.

Transport Minister Mark Bailey

“I think he needs to articulate to what extent he was involved in that and if he has been involved in a lot of these sorts of things he should fess up and be honest about it.”

Mr Bailey said the government took “appropriate and tough action” to sack Ipswich City Council in 2018.

Deputy Opposition Leader Jarrod Bleijie argued the Government had “protected their Labor mates in Ipswich” by failing to release the details of the trip.

“One of those mates is a sitting Ipswich city councillor today … Paul Tully was re-elected in 2020,” he said.

“Imagine the election result had the people of Ipswich known about this luxury travel and accommodation, expenses, joy rides in helicopters from palace hotel to palace hotel – imagine the outcome.”

When asked about the value for ratepayers in staying in luxury hotels, Cr Tully said he was unaware of the itinerary or the cost of the trip in advance.

“Mark Bailey should find out the facts first – all of the financial affairs of Ipswich City Properties were audited by the auditor-general,” he said.

“The trips to the USA, Middle East and Europe were investigated by the CCC and no action taken.”

Cr Tully said the trip included meetings with foreign local governments and businesses.