Mayor under investigation after criticising Qld vaccine rollout

A regional Queensland councillor facing a potentially career-ending allegation of ‘potential misconduct’, says he’s been left ‘almost mute’ after questioning the state’s vaccine rollout. WATCH THE VIDEO

The rights of every local government councillor to openly criticise the Queensland Government is at risk after a mayor found himself under investigation for questioning the vaccine rollout.

Barcaldine Regional Council Mayor Sean Dillon said he’s been left “almost mute” by the potentially career-ending allegation of “potential misconduct” by the state’s council watchdog for raising concerns about the Central West Hospital and Health Service’s planned vaccination rollout.

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He said the implications of the Office of the Independent Assessor’s decision would impact every one of Queensland’s 577 mayors and councillors and their ability to express views that contradict the Queensland Government’s. And the Local Government Association has given their support to take the case all the way to the High Court in a fight for free speech and the rights of elected members to stand up for their communities.

It is alleged Cr Dillon made comments about the CWHHS on February 17 “that could be considered detrimental to public confidence in a health service provider and lead agency in the roll out of the Covid-19 vaccination program in the region”.

During discussion at a public council meeting, Cr Dillon raised concerns his entire western community could not be vaccinated in the few days allocated, that more public information was needed before the planned jabs and that not everyone could physically attend the shire hall for their shots.

He said “it’s just not going to work”, that he had “no confidence in them” and “I just hope they don’t stuff it up because it’s the thing that we need to try and restore confidence in businesses and community events”.

Barcaldine Mayor Sean Dillon receives his vaccination in March. (Facebook image)

Two months later, the OIA informed him he was reasonably suspected of “inappropriate conduct” that would be referred back to council to deal with if proven.

“To make such statements in a public forum is not in the best interest of the community and the OIA considers that this is a matter that should have been addressed directly with the CWHHS in the first instance, rather than in an open meeting of council,” a copy of the served notice reads.

But Cr Dillon’s legal team said the OIC could not “dictate how a democratically elected local government representative ought to voice his concerns” about matters of public interest.

Speaking on Brisbane radio on Wednesday morning, Mr Dillon said the OIA probe has been running for seven months.

“The initial complaint came to me and it was alleged that I’d partake in inappropriate conduct, the lowest level of offense,” Mr Dillon told Neil Breen on 4BC.

“We lodged a very substantial legal defence of my right to undertake implied political freedom of speech or implied freedom of speech and then they responded by elevating the charge from inappropriate conduct to misconduct which is a quite substantially serious elevation.

“I respect the right of anyone to lodge a complaint but … then hearing my side and receiving a 10-page legal defence the OIA then decided ‘oh well then let’s actually elevate this and then do absolutely nothing about it for the following five months’.”

LGAQ chief executive Greg Hallam said councillors should have the same right to voice an opinion as their state and federal counterparts.

The OIA said it did not comment on matters until resolved.

It comes after the OIA was accused of “overreach” earlier this year after it threatened to use sweeping powers to compel a journalist to sell out a source or face a fine.

Fassifern Guardian and Tribune editor Drew Creighton was ordered by the OIA to hand over notes and recordings, but said that the newspaper took the OIA to court to challenge the matter, prompting the government body to back down.