Gates lets rip: Put up or shut up

GOLD Coast Deputy Mayor Donna Gates is staring down critics over developer donations, saying put up or shut up with evidence of anything unlawful.

She broke down in tears earlier this week defending voting for development applications linked to her campaign donors nearly 30 times since the 2016 election.

Unlike NSW, developer donations are legal in Queensland and there is no obligation to abstain from voting if councillors declare a perceived or potential conflict of interest.

She maintains she has always declared potential conflicts before voting and in some cases has pushed for conditions costing developers “dearly”.

But on Tuesday, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk waded into the debate, saying “to see councillors voting when they have been receiving donations is of concern”.

Cr Gates, who declared $174,000 in 2016 campaign donations including $80,000 from developers, yesterday said if anyone had evidence of unlawful behaviour “bring it on”.

“Nothing illegal is occurring and if anyone has any evidence of anything unlawful they should bring it forward or be quiet because there is no evidence of anything untoward,” she said.

“I’m sick to death of people suggesting there might be.”

On Monday, an emotional Cr Gates told the

Bulletin she always complied with the rules but the reputaA tional damage for the city was distressing and “it’s been a tough year”.

Asked yesterday if she had considered resigning at any point, she said: “Not for a minute”.

This year she was among councillors across Queensland questioned during public Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) hearings into 2016 election campaign funding and donations.

The findings by chairman and Alan MacSporran are expected within weeks.

Premier Palaszczuk has said she would not pre-empt the CCC recommendations but promises to act swiftly if law changes are recommended.

Several Gold Coast councillors want a Local Government Act overhaul outlawing councillors voting on projects associated with campaign donors.

Cr Gates has said she would not support that as it “shows a total lack of understanding of what I’m doing in the northern corridor”.

Property guru and excouncillor Max Christmas yesterday said during his council term in the early 2000s he abstained from voting on highrise applications associated with his campaign donors: “There were a huge number of highrises that went up and because of donations I got I never voted on any of them.

“I think Donna Gates – how can I say this nicely – is a very good person and does a great job. She has been caught up in this stuff but she has been all for progress,” Mr

Christmas said.