Logan deputy mayor’s costume comments referred to watchdog

Logan City Council’s deputy mayor will be referred to the council watchdog after publicly poking fun at evidence used in an unfair dismissal court case.

Darren Power, dressed as Hansel, top left; sacked CEO Sharon Kesley dressed as Gretel, second from left, and deputy mayor Jon Raven inset.

Logan City Council’s deputy mayor will be referred to the council watchdog after publicly poking fun at evidence used in an unfair dismissal court case.

Former councillor Phil Pidgeon said he would refer Logan City Council deputy mayor Jon Raven to the Office of Independent Assessor after the remarks before the council this week.

Mr Pidgeon’s complaint followed the revelation on Friday that the Parliamentary Crime and Corruption Committee would investigate the Crime and Corruption Commission’s handling of the Logan council.

Former CEO Sharon Kelsey and Cr Darren Power dressed as Hansel and Gretl for the Relay for Life fundraising event. The costume show was used as evidence in an industrial relations court case.

Cr Raven’s comments were made when he asked Logan mayor Darren Power and acting CEO Silvio Trinca if they would pair up to wear costumes to an upcoming cancer fundraising event.

The comments were in reference to Cr Power dressing up as Hansel and former CEO Sharon Kelsey dressing up as Gretel, for the 2017 cancer fundraising event, Relay for Life.

Logan mayor Darren Power, left, and acting CEO Silvio Trinca were asked about whether they would dress up to attend a cancer fund raising event, which Mr Power attended in 2017 dressed as Hansel.

Former councillor Mr Pidgeon said he was incensed with the comments from Cr Raven and believed they made fun of seven former councillors, who had lost their jobs and their reputations after being charged with fraud in a case that was later dismissed due to lack of evidence.

The conduct of a councillor in a council meeting is regulated by the chair of the meeting and the Office of Indepednent Assessor only gets involved after three strikes of unsuitable conduct.

Former Logan councillor Phil Pidgeon has complained about comments made in council this week.

The former councillor has also made a request to be able to address the PCCC to give his side of the story.

“We lost our jobs and here they are making fun of us in a council forum,” Mr Pidgeon said.

“The CCC raided my house and took my phone and that of six others.

“The seven of us were investigated by the CCC but not all 13 councillors had their phones confiscated.

“Some councillors who were later appointed as advisers asked for their council and private phones to be destroyed.

“No phones should have been destroyed.”

The seven former councillors used the Relay For Life costume parade as evidence against Ms Kelsey during her unfair dismissal case.

That case was discharged in April after the industrial court found there was no evidence that the seven councillors colluded over Ms Kelsey’s sacking.

The seven were also charged by the CCC with fraud over Ms Kelsey’s dismissal but that case was also abandoned in April due to a lack of evidence.

Cr Jon Raven asked mayor Darren Power and acting CEO Silvio Trinca if they would dress up to attend this year’s cancer fundraising Relay for Life event.

Cr Raven said his comments at the council meeting were in jest and he was having a bit of fun.

“They were made at the end of the meeting and were literally for a joke and in no way

Machiavellian.

“As soon as Relay for Life was mentioned at the meeting, I thought it would be funny to mention the costumes — just for a bit of fun — there was nothing else in those comments and they were just me teasing the mayor.”

Terms for the PCCC inquiry into the corruption watchdog are yet to be made public.