Gold Coast City Council election 2024: Tom Tate says it should be harder to nominate for mayor

Tom Tate and Eddy Sarroff are at loggerheads over calls to change the way people nominate for the mayoralty, with the incumbent warning it’s simply too easy.

Incumbent Mayor Tom Tate has called for the state government to massively increase the fee for mayoral candidates to force “unserious” contenders out of the race.

Mr Tate, speaking on the first day of pre-poll blasted candidates who had neither signage, how-to-vote cards or any kind of presence at booths and said the threshold for nomination fees should be increased from $250 to at least $3000.

He said it was important to “raise the standard of candidates for the mayoralty”.

“They should raise the fee so that it stops people, unknowns (who are only running) to raise their profile on the back of local elections,” he said.

Tom Tate on the hustings this week Picture: Andrew Potts

“Make it the same as a federal seat – about $3000 – to become a candidate and if you are serious, you should be able to get that in, plus you get a refund if you secure 4 per cent of the vote anyway.

“That will make sure that the good candidates come through because when it is last-minute self-promotion candidates, other people don’t want to do it.”

It comes a week after seven of the nine mayoral candidates appeared at the Central Chamber of Commerce’s election breakfast.

During the event, serial candidate Brett Lambert, who nominated less than an hour before cut-off, used his speech to launch a fiery attack on Mr Tate’s leadership and credibility, claiming the city was “choking in debt, dishonesty and deception”.

The mayoral candidates at last week’s debate. Picture Glenn Hampson

“The Gold Coast is now looking worse than the Gaza Strip, it’s looking worse under his watch, this is not a good thing,” he said.

Mr Tate remained stoic during the debate and did not respond to Mr Lambert’s claims.

Neither candidates Gary Pead nor Animal Justice Party nominee Jennifer Horsburgh attended, nor has the latter campaigned or spoken publicly about her tilt at the mayoralty.

Mr Tate, who is hoping to secure a fourth-term in office on March 16, said he was disappointed in the field of candidates.

“I speak my mind and this is my fourth time but we had stronger candidates at previous mayoral elections,” he said.

Eddy Sarroff. Picture Glenn Hampson

“People know I cheer democracy but this would only improve things.”

But mayoral challenger Eddy Sarroff hit back at Mr Tate’s comments saying it would “limit democracy” rather than encourage it.

“All residents of the Gold Coat are encouraged to enter any election and contribute to our democracy and it’s disappointing that the Mayor sees fit to throw stones at community members participating in the council elections,” he said.

“The Mayor talks about raising the standard of candidates while casting aspersions upon the candidates running for mayor being below his standard determined by one’s financial capacity.

“As one of the other eight mayoral candidates we are all struggling with providing enough people to hand out how to vote cards, this does not diminish our participation in democracy, it strengthens it.”.