Governance councillors first to raise alarm

Gold Coast Councillors say they were whistleblowers on relationship between Mayor and chief of staff.

GOLD Coast City Councillor Glenn Tozer was one of the whistleblowers who sought departmental advice about the relationship between Mayor Tom Tate and his chief of staff Wayne Moran.

In a stunning admission on social media yesterday, the Mudgeeraba-based councillor outlined how he and several other councillors on the governance committee first had concerns in late 2017.

In several reports in March 2018, the Bulletin reported that a complaint had been made to the CCC after Cr Tate allegedly directed council CEO Dale Dickson not to discipline a senior staffer.

One of the reports said the then governance committee chair William Owen-Jones had made an inquiry which led to the mayoral directives being revealed in an ­attachment.

It was backed by Cr Tozer and Cr Daphne McDonald moved to determine if many of those directives by the mayor, previously unknown to councillors, were compliant with the Local Government Act.

MAYOR: REPORT A ‘TERRIFIC OUTCOME’ FOR THE CITY

Cr Glenn Tozer. Picture by Scott Fletcher

Cr Peter Young later made a complaint about the directives in a submission to a parliamentary committee which he believed conflicted with council policy.

A report by the State corruption watchdog released yesterday disclosed Mr Moran was a subject of a directive.

The Crime and Corruption Commission report alleges Mr Dickson had attempted to discipline Mr Moran in ­November 2015 for failing to declare a conflict of interest involving an unnamed ­company.

The report claims Mr Dickson later issued a show cause letter for disciplinary action, explaining it was inappropriate to involve the Mayor.

It is alleged Mr Moran sent an email to the Mayor advising him how to use his directions powers. On Mr Dickson’s response, Mr Moran told the Mayor: “Well he’s trying to use the finger.”

The CEO later closed the matter after receiving a mayoral directive from Cr Tate, the CCC report states.

IN FULL: INCREDIBLE EMAIL EXCHANGE BETWEEN TOP COUNCIL OFFICIALS

Gold Coast Council CEO Dale Dickson. Photo: Jerad Williams

On Facebook yesterday, Cr Tozer produced an excerpt of the report which alleged that many people in council, after the mayoral directive, ­believed Mr Moran was ­“untouchable”.

“In November 2017, I became aware of some of the substance surrounding the mayoral directions referred to in the CCC report. Until then I had not been informed about these directions,” Cr Tozer wrote.

OTHER NEWS

Council ‘sent security officers with guard dogs’

Jack Beasley’s family bid to end grief

‘State of the art’ dealership opens on Coast

“On 6 December 2017, I had sought and received ­written advice from the then Director-General of the ­Department of Local Government to have the mayoral directions referred to the department as the relevant authority to whom complaints should be referred at that time.

“I followed that advice and the then governance, administration and finance committee recommended to full council to follow the advice that the DG had provided to me, which was contained in a motion I raised that the GAF committee adopted.”

Cr Tozer detailed what ­occurred at the full council meeting.

“The Mayor presided over the committee recommendation and the council ultimately resolved to take no further action instead, and keep the matter confidential. I opposed that, along with an insufficient number of my colleagues,” he wrote.

“After that, in late February 2018, I referred the matter to the relevant administrative complaints process and it was subsequently referred to the CCC. I have tried to remain silent about it while the investigation has been ongoing.”

Cr Tozer said it was important to note that no criminal charges had been laid, nor has any conduct that meets the threshold of “corruption” been identified.

A number of matters allegedly meeting the threshold of misconduct have been referred to the OIA, he claimed.

WHAT MAYOR TOM TATE SAID TO THE CCC

Mayor Tom Tate’s chief of staff Wayne Moran.

The OIA late yesterday confirmed it is investigating alleged misconduct by Cr Tate as outlined in the CCC report, including alleged interference in a council disciplinary process relating to the failure of his chief of staff to comply with council register of interest requirements.

“The natural justice process allows councillors to respond to an allegation and say why a matter should not be referred to the Councillor Conduct Tribunal to be dealt with,” the OIA said.

The matters could take some months to finalise, the OIA added.

“Generally, the OIA does not comment on investigations that may or may not be under way unless they have ­already been made public, which is the case with the current allegations against Mayor Tate,” the OIA said.

Mr Moran yesterday said he was “pleased and not surprised” the CCC had confirmed no corruption nor anything criminal on his part. He declined to comment further.

In his submission to the CCC, Cr Tate has denied any wrongdoing or inappropriate conduct, saying it gave the council a clean bill of health. He said he was not concerned about the referral to the OIA.