Tate labelled ‘vulgar’ after urging CCC boss to ‘stand down’

The head of Queensland’s corruption watchdog has called Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate ‘vulgar’ after Mr Tate urged him to stand down in the wake of a failed prosecution against a group of Logan Councillors.

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate has called for Crime and Corruption Commission boss Alan MacSporran to be stood down in an ongoing war of words with Queensland’s chief corruption buster.

Cr Tate, who was investigated by the Crime and Corruption Commission and cleared last year after an 18-month probe, doubled down on his attack on Mr MacSporran after Logan councillors were cleared by a court of fraud on Wednesday.

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He had previously accused the CCC chairman of riding into the Gold Coast “like a gunslinger … the biggest sheriff in town”.

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate. Picture: Jerad Williams

He said the CCC had destroyed the lives of fellow southeast Queensland mayors.

Cr Tate also said that having the CCC investigate him was like “someone telling you it’s raining while standing behind you pissing down your back’’.

“He needs to be stood down immediately. I would stand him down now,” the Mayor said of Mr MacSporran.

“It’s ironic that the CCC Chair is always the one talking about a presumption of innocence being a barometer for fair justice. Well let’s stand him down now and give him his day of reckoning sometime in the distant future.

“It seems all OK for the CCC to take years to investigate issues so let’s apply those same principles - and timelines - to this disgraceful behaviour meted out on the Logan council.

Alan MacSporran QC, CCC Chairperson. Picture: Liam Kidston

“My call today is: stand him down now, allow him a presumption of innocence, and take all the time in the world to investigate the appalling decisions and advice of the CCC that resulted in Logan councillors losing their livelihoods, their reputation, their incomes, their marriages and their community standing.

“What happened in Logan is nothing short of contemptuous.

“I’m glad to see it’s stopped raining in Logan now that the CCC aren’t peeing on people’s lives.

“The chair is the one feeling wet right now and he needs to be stood down.’’

Mr MacSporran slammed Cr state’s comments as ‘vulgar’ in a statement issued Thursday night by the CCC.

“The vulgar comments attributed to Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate in an online article in The Courier-Mail tonight are unbecoming of an elected official in my view,” he said.

“I’m sure reasonable Queenslanders would agree.”

Cr Tate said he would ‘happily apologise’ if his comments offended Mr MacSporran - but he expected the CCC chair to apologise to the seven Logan Councillors ‘whose lives and careers were destroyed through the vulgar actions of Mr MacSporran and his commission’.

“Put it to the people of Queensland as to whether my words, or his actions, are seen as more vulgar and offensive,” Cr Tate retorted.

“People’s lives, reputations, careers and livelihoods have been destroyed by his actions.

“That’s what is vulgar in this sordid affair yet the CCC Chair still acts as if he is the aggrieved.”

Originally published as Tate labelled ‘vulgar’ after urging CCC boss to ‘stand down’