Dawn goes on offensive

DAWN Crichlow has opened a new front in her battle with Mayor Tom Tate by asking 11 incendiary Questions on Notice about allegations meetings of councillors took place outside the Evandale council precinct.

The veteran Southport councillor is furious after receiving an email from the Mayor which she considered a threat, as revealed yesterday by the Bulletin.

Cr Tate suggested she “reconsider her community leadership role as a councillor” after making outspoken comments about her fears that athletes could be “stressed” in traffic congestion during the Commonwealth Games.

Cr Crichlow, in the first full council meeting yesterday since being demoted from several committees late last year, asked 11 Questions on Notice related to what she considers is a new high-powered economic policy committee.

She asked whether council had endorsed a new Economic Development and Major Projects Review Committee on January 31 which included the Mayor, Robina’s Hermann Vorster, Coolangatta’s Gail O’Neill, Deputy Mayor Donna Gates and Surfers Paradise’s Gary Baildon.

Cr Crichlow also asked if there was a recommendation from council that the new working review signed off by the councillors included planning chair Cameron Caldwell and newly promoted committee chair Pauline Young.

“Why were the other two councillors brought in without discussion of full council? When was this review committee changed by council or if not who made the change?” she asked.

Cr Crichlow also asked the Mayor how many meetings of the group had been held from October last year to this month, who attended, where the minutes were and if they would be made available.

“How many meetings did the CEO (Dale Dickson) attend? Was a meeting of the review committee held at the Mayor’s home prior to the last council meeting on the 8 December 2017?” she said.

“If so which councillors were invited to attend? Which councillors attended? Was an agenda sent to the review committee prior to this meeting? Were there minutes taken?”

The Bulletin understands the Mayor conducted some council business at his home during his recovery after emergency surgery for bowel cancer.

Councillor Tate showed no emotion during yesterday’s council meeting as Cr Crichlow went through her requests. He simply agreed to take them on notice.

He declined to comment outside the chamber because it was an official process requiring the answers to be provided to the councillor after he spoke to the CEO.

Cr Crichlow, who is understood to have been unsuccessful in obtaining the minutes of meetings from other councillors, also declined to comment.