OPINION: Is sacking a council good for a city?

Unless we know there's going to be no more of the same, it's hard to know a better way forward.

ACTING Mayor Wayne Wendt is right on some of his points.

The State Government removing this council would rob us of our access to our local councillors.

He says this "risks taking away a right to representation, a simple system whereby people can approach their local councillor to make a complaint, offer a pat on the back, or suggest ways their community can be more beautiful, safer, or inherently functional".

I love this quote. It sums up exactly what local government should be all about.

But I also have to disagree with Cr Wendt. When he talks about the "very real threat that the collective voice of the people could be overturned" I must ask is what is happening here what the collective voice of the people wants?

If the people of Ipswich knew then what they know now, would they have voted the same way?

We have allegations against people that have not been proven. And yes there are allegations against people that are so historic some of the current elected officials weren't yet in the job. We can't tar them all with the same brush.

And when it's all said and done, everyone may walk away absolved of the allegations against them.

But can we as a city continue this way, waiting to see if there will be more charges? And if there are, what happens? Our council continues to be slowly chipped away at.

Is sacking a council good for a city? Absolutely not. It's a disaster. But unless we know there's going to be no more of the same, it's hard to know a better way forward.

Originally published as OPINION: Is sacking a council good for a city?