New conflict of interest laws unworkable as council chamber almost empty during debate
GOLD Coast Mayor Tom Tate has given the Crime and Corruption Commission a message in the wake of the $48 million sale of the Bruce Bishop Carpark.
Council
Don't miss out on the headlines from Council. Followed categories will be added to My News.
MAYOR Tom Tate warns new conflict of interest laws need to be tweaked to be workable after almost half of his councillors left the chamber during the Bruce Bishop car park debate.
Cr Tate today also took aim at the State’s corruption watchdog and asked for a quick resolution of its investigation into council.
In unprecedented scenes at city hall yesterday, only eight councillors remained in the chamber with the vote six to two to sell the asset.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO BRUCE BISHOP CARPARK NOW?
If one of the remaining councillors had left, there would not have been a quorum.
During several stages yesterday debate had to stopped as a councillor left the room, including several minutes after veteran Daphne McDonald stormed out of the chamber.
“Before these new laws were there, we were all in there declared and considerate and would stay in the room,” Cr Tate said.
“That’s what democracy is about, and serving the people is about. Yesterday it stopped seven other people to be able to voice and enter the debate.
“That’s the law, We will play by the rules. But I think in the next 12 months they are going to need to tweak this new law. It’s not going to be workable especially in the small country towns.”
HICKS FAMILY ENDORSE DECISION TO SELL CARPARK
BIG CHANGES COMING TO HOTA SITE
Cr Tate in a June letter to the Local Government Association flagged the new conflict of interest laws created by the Palaszczuk Government were creating uncertainty among councillors and staff.
The Government had introduced the new laws, stemming from an investigation into allegations involving local government, which required councillors to provide more details about donations and potential conflicts of interest, and to dob in colleagues suspected of hiding information.
The laws also increase jail terms for offenders.
Cr Tate today again called on the CCC to sort out the investigation into his council.
FLASHBACK: BRUCE BISHOP CARPARK
GET A NEW SET OF HEADPHONES WITH YOUR DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION
He said he respected the confidentiality of the CCC but was “muscled about my view” after allegations were detailed in the media.
Cr Tate said the CCC, if the council had nothing to answer, should make public its findings rather than “leave us sitting and sitting”.
“So I haven’t heard from them. So there’s no concern. I mean I’ve said before justice delayed is justice denied,” he said.
“Come on down, sort it out, so that people can move on.
“Just to leave it at “we’re coming” — 26th of February the CCC say right we’ve done Ipswich, we’ve done Logan and we’re coming down to the Gold Coast.
“I’m saying you’re said you’re coming down. Come on down. All the books, the statements whatever you want to know, it’s all there.”
‘Resistance is futile’: When boaties will be evicted from Bums Bay
Bums Bay on The Spit will become Australia’s largest outdoor swimming enclosure, with the boats set to be evicted in the near future under plans being developed. FULL STORY
Inside the Gold Coast’s tent city: ‘We’re second class citizens’
Lane has spent four years on the streets. He says one of the hardest parts is ‘carting your stuff around’, that homeless are treated like ‘second class citizens’, and that the Southport tent city has helped him feel safe. This is his story.