Paul Jacob and Jai Philpotts contest local government election in new group Change

Division 1 candidate Paul Jacob has revealed the name of his group that will challenge Team Hill in the upcoming local government election.

Candidates for Division 1, Paul Jacob and Division 2, Jai Philpots, have joined forces in group called Change to contest Townsville's local government election. Pictures: Supplied.

Campaigning for increased accountability and transparency, a rival group led by former-councillor Paul Jacob has stepped forward to challenge Team Hill’s electoral dominance in the upcoming local government election.

Contesting Division 1, Bluewater resident Mr Jacob will lead a group called “Change”, alongside recently announced Division 2 candidate and Burdell resident Jai Philpots, after registering the name with the Electoral Commission of Queensland three weeks ago.

It was through crossing paths with Mr Philpots at a couple of different functions that prompted Mr Jacob to ask whether he would be interested in campaigning for council.

“Our main mission statement is transparency and accountability. I left Team Hill after about 2.5 years and decided to sit in that chamber as an independent … because there was not enough transparency occurring in council,” Mr Jacob said.

“The community was very unsure about different issues that were going through (the council) … I was the only one that voted against the Adani airport, which council was going to put in $18.5m.

Former councillor Paul Jacob will contest the upcoming local government election as a councillor for Division 1. Picture: Shae Beplate.

“There wasn’t enough information out into the community for that spend ... so that concerned me, and that was the very start of me realising that we’re just not transparent as councillors that you should be.”

He was hopeful of recruiting more like-minded political aspirants to join Change.

“What I want to do is have voices in council that can listen to motions that have been proposed by the managers of council and the CEO, and express their voice to those motions,” he said.

Jai Philpots has thrown his hat into the ring to contest Division 2 in the upcoming local government election. Picture: Supplied.

Division 1 candidate Paul Jacob is campaigning for increased transparency and accountability. Picture: Supplied.

“Council just goes down the one track, I believe, all the time. There is not sufficient argument in council for council meetings or committee meetings, to have a good discussion on these motions that are coming up.

“In my case, I believe that a lot of things are railroaded through counsel, which should not happen in our democracy.”

According to reporting of electoral expenditure on the Electoral Commission of Queensland’s web site, Change also included group member Anne-Maree Beningfield.

Mr Jacob confirmed that Ms Beningfield had withdrawn from the race citing “personal matters”.

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Originally published as Paul Jacob and Jai Philpotts contest local government election in new group Change