REMEMBER WHEN

GOLD COAST BULLETIN Saturday July 20, 1985

A 24-hour police guard was put on the office and home of Gold Coast Mayor Denis Pie following bomb and death threats.

The threats followed leaked details of a 13.1 per cent rate rise which was officially brought down by the city council.

It a split decision, four aldermen voted against the $174.5 million budget, which raised the rate bill for most ratepayers from $562 to $636 per year.

Alderman Keith Thompson looked set to become the first elected local government member in Queensland to be taken to court for breaking a council by-law.

City Council aldermen voted by seven to three to take legal action against Ald. Thompson for leaking details of the budget.

A summons was to be issued against Ald. Thompson and the matter referred to the magistrate’s court.

Ald. Thompson was liable for a $500 fine.

Local Government Department officers said they were unaware of any occasion when a council had decided to stake legal against one of its members for breaching the confidentiality of a standing committee.

The matter was raised during a pre-budget council meeting.

The Mayor, Ald. Pie moved that legal action be taken against Ald. Thompson for a breach of by-law 40, chapter 2 of the council’s local laws which prohibited aldermen from disclosing committee business without permission from the council.

Before discussions started on whether the council would take action, Ald. Thompson declared a pecuniary interest in the matter.