Tom Tate: Gold Coast Mayor hits back at misconduct findings

Mayor Tom Tate has returned to work and confronted questions about misconduct findings against him – referring to an Elton John hit song. SEE THE VIDEO

Mayor Tom Tate has returned to work and confronted questions about misconduct findings against him – referring to an Elton John hit song.

Mr Tate also took a political jab at former Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) chair Alan MacSporran, and added that he felt councillors were under more scrutiny than any other politicians by the Office of Independent Assessor (OIA).

Last week the Councillor Conduct Tribunal found Mr Tate had engaged in misconduct after not declaring perceived conflicts on a Surfers Paradise super tower property development and decisions on council contracts.

Mayor Tom Tate – will appeal OIA cases. Picture Glenn Hampson.

He was also alleged to have breached council’s expenses policy and wrongly intervened in a staffing row. The findings come after a marathon investigation going back to separate complaints, many related to council meetings between 2015 to 2018.

On Tuesday Mr Tate declined to talk specifics because his lawyers were preparing to launch an appeal with QCAT.

“At the end of the day I’m Still Standing, as Elton John would say, and he’s gone somewhere – Alan MacSporran, I don’t know where the hell he is but good luck,” Mr Tate said, referring to his back and forth battles with the former CCC chair over the years.

The Bulletin had asked about the legal cost to ratepayers from the lengthy investigations.

“The way I look at it is this, when there is a lot of cases that have been dismissed and hardly any vexation, lets not skirt around OIA matters have been weaponised for political reasons,” Mr Tate said.

The Mayor was investigated by the CCC and cleared in 2020 after an 18-month probe. He has been critical of the OIA in 2022 investigating what he believed was a humorous remark about Chinese people eating cats. The matter was assessed as potential inappropriate conduct which is low-level conduct, outside the OIA’s remit.

“Even when a case is dismissed the amount of money spent would be a minimum ten grand on one side, the council side, at least ten grand on the OIA side, well 20 grand of taxpayers funds,” he said.

“You multiply how many cases there have been since they established, since 2019, that’s a lot of infrastructure, shade sails and all those things – that’s what breaks my heart.”

On the current findings by the Councillor Conduct Tribunal, he said: “I disagree with the finding, based on previous dismissals.

Designs showing the $1.2 billion Spirit tower — it was never developed. Supplied.

“I’ll be appealing, through QCAT, for me to really say anything further – one I know what I’m like, I’ll be enraging OIA. Secondly, I don’t want to really hurt the appeal process.

“That appeal will happen as soon as practicable. I’m seeing my lawyers today. We have a good record of winning the cases.

“I don’t intentionally go out to misconduct myself. But Tom is not going to change the way he speaks, or he way he acts, speaks his mind.”

Several allegations relate to a council vote on the Spirit super tower in Trickett Street, Surfers Paradise.

In its recommendations, the tribunal ordered that Mr Tate be reprimanded and fined a total of $3000.

The tribunal also found the mayor had engaged in misconduct in late-2015 after giving directions to then chief executive Dale Dickson to stop a disciplinary process against Mr Tate’s then chief of staff Wayne Moran.

Former mayoral Chief of Staff Wayne Moran (pictured right) at an election campaign breakfast. Picture Glenn Hampson.

The tribunal recommended Mr Tate make a public admission of misconduct, pay $2322 and attend training or counselling.

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