Ratepayer fury as Moreton Bay councillor Matt Constance books up 16 cruises for YouTube

A Moreton Bay City councillor, who spent 43 days cruising last year, has drawn criticism for chairing a cyclone strategy meeting remotely from a cruise ship.

Moreton Bay councillor Matt Constance and wife Deb take to their YouTube channel before boarding their cruise ship in Sydney. Picture: YouTube

A Moreton Bay City Councillor, who spent 43 days on cruises last year and has booked a further 16 cruises this year, has drawn criticism for chairing a high-level cyclone strategy meeting via Zoom from a cruise ship.

Councillor Matt Constance, chairman of the council’s Disaster Management Committee, was at sea on Monday when the council met to plan for Cyclone Alfred’s impact.

The long-serving councillor, who has boasted about completing “10 cruises in 10 weeks” on his YouTube channel DebandMatt Chat, defended his actions, stating he had not broken any rules and attended remotely “like most of the other attendees”.

The backlash followed the couple’s online claims that they had taken eight cruises on five ships across three different cruise lines to six countries last year and were planning to do more this year.

Councillor Matt Constance and wide Deb announce their cruising plans for 2025.

Cr Constance’s Facebook page and YouTube channel document the couple’s extensive travel, with videos featuring trips to Singapore, Thailand, New Zealand, New Caledonia, Sydney, Phuket, and Hawaii.

Residents have expressed frustration, claiming Cr Constance is frequently unavailable to address concerns, particularly regarding flooding and other safety matters, due to his constant travels.

They alleged he regularly took three-day weekends, exploiting a loophole in the Local Government Act, which only considers a breach when councillors miss more than two consecutive general council meetings.

A formal complaint about the councillor’s travel habits was lodged with the Office of the Independent Assessor in February.

Constituents have also raised concerns that Cr Constance is expected to be away for at least 48 more days this year, potentially longer if he opts for extended cruises.

However, Cr Constance has defended his frequent travels, insisting they do not interfere with his responsibilities.

Moreton Bay councillor Matt Constance and wife Deb completed 10 cruises in 10 weeks last year and plan to do more this year. Picture: YouTube

“The only general meeting I’m missing this year is one in May, and I sought formal approval for that absence to attend a close friend’s wedding vow renewal in Bali,” he said.

“I’m not missing statutory meetings, and the facts have been misconstrued — many of these trips are short weekend cruises.

“The suggestion that every trip is a four-day cruise is simply inaccurate.”

Cr Constance argued that many people took holidays with their families.

“Yes, I took a three-week break last year, but that’s very rare for my wife and I,” he said.

“Most of our trips are short cruises, as we have a heavy workload and family commitments, including caring for parents and children,” he said.

He also addressed claims that he completed an MBA overseas on council time, clarifying that he undertook one study unit abroad as part of QUT’s Executive MBA program.

“It was a leadership module requiring two-and-a-half weeks in the US, during the Covid period when there wasn’t much happening,” he said.

The couple love the cruising life and completed 16 cruises last year.

According to the Moreton Bay City Council’s 2023–24 annual report, Cr Constance attended all 17 general meetings.

He also denied profiting from his YouTube channel, which has 1000 subscribers and more than 125,000 video views.

“I’ve received no money from YouTube. I’d love to, as we all would, but I haven’t earned a cent,” he stated.

“If that changes, I’ll declare it in accordance with the Local Government Act.”

Cr Constance insisted that his weekend cruises did not affect his duties, as all council committee meetings and briefings occurred on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

The couple have more than 125,000 video views on YouTube and plan to get more than subscribers.

“We often board a ship late on a Friday after working all morning and disembark early on Tuesday,” he said.

The Moreton Bay City Council, the Mayor and Deputy Mayor, are aware of the complaints but no action has been required.

The council has not clarified how many days a councillor can take off annually or whether Cr Constance’s travel aligns with regulations.

The Office of the Independent Assessor declined to confirm or deny an investigation but said each council had its own set of rules for taking leave and reiterated that councillors must participate in all meetings unless granted prior leave.

“A councillor’s office becomes vacant if they miss two or more consecutive ordinary meetings in two months without approval,” the OIA said in a statement.