Kevin Byrne begins discussions with former top cop Paul Taylor ahead of council’s 2024 elections
A two-time Cairns mayor has started discussions with former Queensland Police deputy commissioner Paul Taylor about running for mayor in next year’s election.
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A two-time Cairns mayor has started discussions with former Queensland Police deputy commissioner Paul Taylor about running for mayor in next year’s election.
Kevin Byrne – Cairns’ mayor from 1992 to 1995 and again from 2000 to 2008 – has confirmed he is “in discussions” with people about putting a team together ahead of the March 2024 elections.
Mr Byrne ruled himself out of the race “at this stage” and confirmed he had initiated discussions with Mr Taylor, a Cairns resident, about “the need for strong local government”, and discussed Mr Taylor’s potential involvement in a future council.
Mr Taylor confirmed discussions had taken place but is yet to decide whether he will stand.
“There’s plenty of time to consider,” Mr Taylor said.
Prior to the election, Mr Byrne has the option of declaring himself a third party – an entity who makes a gift to an election participant or conducts campaign activities, according to the Electoral Commission of Queensland.
Mr Byrne registered an entity called Cairns Community Alliance with ASIC on June 13 and the Australian Business Register, but he said this was not necessarily a team name.
He said he had not yet contacted people for the purpose of fundraising.
“I will be involved somehow, making sure this city gets the outcome it deserves,” he said.
Mr Byrne said law and order would be the key council election issue in 2024 and said Mr Taylor would be a “good choice” for Cairns’ next mayor.
“I think the city is due for a change in direction. I think we need a more aggressive approach to issues that matter,” Mr Byrne said.
“For us to tolerate the crime that’s happening here is beyond acceptable. There’s white-hot anger that this issue has been allowed to grow and fester. This is a leadership issue.
“One of the roles of local government is to provide a safe and efficient city.
“We should be out there advocating for more police, if that’s the issue.”
Mr Byrne said he would “back” Mr Taylor if he put his hand up.
“People of his calibre would make a good mayor,” he said.
Former Division 2 councillor John Schilling said he’d been contacted by Mr Byrne about council candidature and said Mr Byrne was looking for people, including a mayoral candidate, to fill a team.
“Kevin has done a lot for Cairns … I respect him a great deal,” Mr Schilling said.
“I’m glad he’s looking to put a team together.”
Paul Taylor served with Queensland Police for 45 years including a stint as Queensland Police’s Northern Region Assistant Commissioner from 2015 to 2020 where he co-ordinated major policing operations that targeted both young and adult offenders and resulted in hundreds of arrests.
He was then promoted to Deputy Commissioner Regional Queensland.
Mr Taylor resigned in August 2022 shortly after a high-level police inquiry revealed he’d referred to a friend, a gynaecologist, as a “vagina whisperer” during a speech at a Brisbane law enforcement conference four months earlier.
“It was never my intention to offend anyone, and I am deeply apologetic for the harm it has caused,” Mr Taylor said in a statement at the time.
Should Kevin Byrne push forward a team for the council elections, his candidates would compete against the Unity Team led by current deputy mayor Terry James, and Team Eden led by Unity defector and current Division 5 councillor Amy Eden, as well as a growing field of independent candidates.
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Originally published as Kevin Byrne begins discussions with former top cop Paul Taylor ahead of council’s 2024 elections
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