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Premier rejects CCC probe amid calls for action on council laws
By Matt Dennien
Queensland’s Premier has rejected calls for an independent inquiry into abandoned fraud charges that led to the sacking of one of the state’s largest councils, as the head of the state’s corruption watchdog expressed his disappointment in the prosecutors’ decision to drop the charges.
A lack of evidence led the Director of Public Prosecutions to drop charges against seven former Logan councillors on Thursday, almost two years they were automatically suspended for an alleged plot to push out the council’s then-chief executive.
The decision to drop charges has sparked calls for changes to the legislation, compensation for the councillors and a probe into the corruption watchdog’s actions.Credit: Jimboomba Times
Under laws enacted in 2018, then-local government minister Stirling Hinchliffe said he was left with no choice but to dismiss the entire council because it could not form a quorum.
The decision has sparked calls for changes to the legislation, compensation for the councillors and a probe into the corruption watchdog’s actions while chairman Alan MacSporran, QC, stood aside. Former mayor Luke Smith has been committed to stand trial on separate charges.
On Thursday, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the Parliamentary Crime and Corruption Committee had permanent legislative and independent oversight of the organisation.
Ms Palaszczuk highlighted the committee’s five-year review of the watchdog had recently held public hearings and taken submissions and was due to report by July.
“Anyone can approach the committee at any time with concerns about the CCC including anyone with a complaint about the handling of any case,” she said.
Local Government Association of Queensland chief executive Greg Hallam said what had amounted to the wrongful dismissal of one of the country’s largest councils deserved more than to be “flick-passed” to the committee.
He said the association had raised concerns with the committee at the time and it was “imperative” for the Premier to ensure the matter was investigated by a third party, such as a senior judicial figure, to ensure it could not happen again.
“This matter cannot be swept under the carpet,” Mr Hallam added.
Other local government figures from across the state’s south-east also joined the chorus of voices calling for action on Thursday. Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate reiterated Mr Hallam’s calls for Mr MacSporran to stand down, while Brisbane lord mayor Adrian Schrinner said there needed to be safety mechanisms inserted into the legislation.
“It’s really concerning to anyone in local government across Queensland that the state government can arbitrarily step in and sack an entire council and then later down the track we found that there’s not even enough evidence to prosecute and there’s no case to answer,” Cr Schrinner said.
Mr Hallam said his association had advice from three QCs suggesting the charges would not stick and raised the need for a step before the automatic dismissal of a council without quorum to properly assess the prospect of successful prosecution.
He did not dispute that councillors facing criminal charges should be stood down while they proceed through the courts.
Centre for Public Integrity executive director Han Aulby said a specialised and well-resourced unit within the DPP’s office to deal with complex corruption cases from the CCC could help minimise delays.
In a lengthy interview on ABC Radio, Mr MacSporran again defended the “magnificent job” his team did in putting together the case, along with seconded police, before prosecutors took over and continued to progress the charges through the justice system.
Asked if he was surprised by the decision to drop the charges after committal hearings last year, Mr MacSporran said he was “disappointed”.
“[Director of Public Prosecutions Carl Heaton] has changed his mind,” he said. “That’s his call. I don’t agree with it, I respect it.”