Gold Coast City Council: Former top bureaucrat’s claims declared ‘frivolous and vexatious’

A former top bureaucrat has lost a last-ditch bid for cash from the Crime and Corruption Commission over complaints he made about the Gold Coast City Council.

A FORMER top bureaucrat has lost a last-ditch bid for cash from the Crime and Corruption Commission over complaints he made about the Gold Coast City Council.

Gregory Raymond Young tried to claim compensation from the CCC for failing to investigate complaints he made about the council between 2011 and 2017.

He had accused the council of extortion, contributing to his depression and falsely accusing him of sexual harassment.

The Court of Appeal last week agreed with the CCC’s assessment the claims Mr Young was making were “frivolous and vexatious” and dismissed the claim.

Former Gold Coast City Council bureaucrat Greg Young.

The bid was a part of a long-running battle Mr Young had with the council after being dismissed as major projects director in 2005 following a sexual harassment scandal.

He was accused of sending sexually charged letters to a female secretary, in what became known as the “love letter scandal”.

After his dismissal, Mr Young repeatedly tried to take the council to court.

In August 2017, Mr Young gave Cairns MP Rob Pyne documents making sensational claims against the council.

Mr Young was dismissed by the council in 2005 as a result of the ‘love letter scandal’.

The documents were tabled in parliament.

Mr Young stated in the documents: “While employed at GCCC I and other directors had knowledge of corrupt conduct that was occurring during the time that … was major.

“This included cash bribes of $40,000 … There is a list of projects that needed investigation. I will say for the record that huge corruption was going on.”

Mr Young’s recent legal battle started in November 2017 when he lodged legal action against the CCC.

Council CEO Dale Dickson announcing Mr Young’s dismissal in 2005. Picture: David Clark

Justice Philip McMurdo said in his appeal findings that Mr Young had claimed the CCC “failed to appropriately respond to a serious of complaints” made about the council between 2011 and 2017 against the council and had failed to investigate “what he alleged was judicial corruption”.

Mr Young also claimed the financial loss he suffered after being sacked from council would have been compensated if the CCC investigated his complaints.

The CCC applied to the Supreme Court for the claim to be dismissed, stating it was “frivolous and vexatious and an abuse of process”.

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Greg Young. Picture: Paul Riley

On February 2 last year Justice Glenn Martin agreed the claim should be thrown out.

Mr Young appealed the decision, taking the case to the Court of Appeal.

The three Appeal Court judges last week agreed in a seven-page judgment that the case should be dismissed.

“It is not the function of the CCC to serve individual interests, by facilitating the recovery of compensation or other redress for someone who may have been a victim of crime or event of corruption,” Justice McMurdo said.

It was also found Mr Young was asking for a number of measures that were not the court’s power to grant.