Four charged mayors forced to step down

Four Queensland mayors facing criminal charges have been suspended under laws rushed through the state’s parliament.

Former Ipswich Mayor Andrew Antoniolli. Picture: Rob Williams

Logan mayor Luke Smith has lashed out at the new laws that saw him and three other Queensland mayors suspended overnight, saying it was a politically motivated move to remove him from office.

Mr Smith, who is facing a corruption charge, labelled Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe’s handling of the situation “a debacle” and said he was formally advised of his suspension in an email from the minister’s office two minutes before he held a press conference this morning.

“Still there’s no specifics around what that means, I don’t know what I’m allowed to do, what I’m not allowed to do,” he said.

“I don’t know what being suspended actually means, I’m yet to find that out.”

Mr Smith said he had not been able to contact Mr Hinchliffe since seeing a social media post that said he, Ipswich mayor Andrew Antoniolli, Doomadgee mayor Eric Walden and Hope Vale mayor Greg McLean had been suspended.

They are all facing criminal charges over which, if found guilty, would see them disqualified from serving in public office.

The specifics of the suspension remained unclear to Mr Smith, who said he did not know if he was allowed in the council building or to talk to staff or what his remuneration arrangements would be.

He said proper processes and democracy had been pushed aside for political motives.

“I am being absolutely defiant in my presumption of innocence and that’s why I find this an absolutely ludicrous decision today,” he said.

“What I’m going to do is fight very hard to get these matters heard as quickly as possible so I can get back to the job that I thoroughly enjoy and 62 per cent of the people of this city put me in.

“That’s got to be remembered, it is the people who put me in this office and not this government.

“This government now has the powers to take mayors away from their job and democracy away from the hands of the people.

“The government has given themselves way too many powers in this space and taken democracy out of the hands of the people.”

Logan Mayor Luke Smith. Picture: Peter Wallis.

Charged mayors suspended

Four Queensland mayors facing criminal charges have been suspended under laws rushed through the state’s parliament to stem a crisis of public confidence in local government.

The four, from councils spanning the state, face charges of corruption or fraud and have been stood aside on full pay until the courts can resolve their guilt or innocence.

They are Ipswich City mayor Andrew Antoniolli, Hope Vale Aboriginal Shire mayor Greg McLean, Doomadgee Aboriginal Shire mayor Eric Walden, and Logan City mayor Luke Smith.

The extraordinary move follows the charging of 15 people by the state’s corruption watchdog in the Labor stronghold of ­Ipswich, including Mr Antoniolli and his mayoral predecessor Paul Pisasale. Other local officials under investigation include Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate and members of the Moreton Shire Council, north of Brisbane.

There was confusion last night about whether the law had been formalised, with sources telling The Australian that the process had been flawed by a procedural blunder. Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe could not be reached for comment.

The legislation was introduced amid opposition attacks over the Palaszczuk government’s slow ­response to alleged corruption at Ipswich, a Labor stronghold.

If acquitted, the councillors will be allowed to return.

Mr Antoniolli, elected in a by-election in August after Mr Pisasale’s resignation, stood aside as mayor in early May after he was charged with seven counts of fraud. He allegedly used council funds to buy sporting memorabilia and other items for his personal use.

Logan’s Mr Smith was charged in April with corruption, perjury and failing to correct his register of interests after a year-long Crime and Corruption Commission investigation.

Mr Smith last night wrote on Facebook that he felt “robbed” by the law.

“The community should be deeply concerned that their democratically elected representatives can be removed from office while still under the presumption of innocence,” he wrote.

“These changes to legislation will likely end the careers of many good people.”

His colleague, councillor Stacey McIntosh, has also been suspended over a charge of allegedly stealing $184,000 from her former employer, Fortuna Engineering Works, before joining the council in 2016.

Mr Walden of Doomadgee, in the state’s northwest, was suspended over two charges of forging a document and one of misconduct in public office.

Mr McLean of Hope Vale, on Cape York, faces a charge of fraud involving a sum of more than $30,000.

Mr Hinchliffe wrote to all councillors asking them to ­declare any outstanding charges that might trigger the law.

The new laws give the minister greater power to suspend a council, councillor or mayor in the public interest.

“These are very new laws, and I will need to carefully consider whether to exercise any of my new powers,” he said in a ­statement.