CIOBLOW
Minister slams Mayor, claims he’s ‘at war with everyone’
THE Gold Coast’s sole Federal Minister Steven Ciobo has blasted Mayor Tom Tate for being “at war with everyone”. But Mayor Tate, with local luminaries in his corner, has hit back, saying he will continue to put the Gold Coast before politics and politicians.
Mr Ciobo launched the attack yesterday when asked about Bulletin coverage quoting city leaders calling for a better deal from State Government.
As part of the coverage, Cr Tate penned a strong opinion piece, advising state and federal leaders to “take us seriously”.
THE Gold Coast’s sole Federal Minister Steven Ciobo is blasting combative Mayor Tom Tate for being “at war with everyone” and questioning if it is in the city’s interests.
But Mayor Tate, with local luminaries in his corner, has hit back, saying he will continue to put the Gold Coast before politics and politicians.
Mr Ciobo launched the attack yesterday at a media conference when asked about Bulletin coverage quoting city leaders calling for a better deal from State Government.
As part of the coverage, Cr Tate penned a strong opinion piece, advising state and federal leaders to “take us seriously” and questioning if Brisbane powerbrokers saw the Gold Coast as a “serious voice”.
Mr Ciobo, the Federal Minister for Tourism, Trade and Investment, said yesterday: “I notice the Mayor has declared war on the State Government, the Mayor has declared war on the Federal Government, the Mayor seems to be at war with a whole bunch of different ratepayer groups, the Mayor is at war with other mayors in the south-east corner of Queensland, the Mayor is at war with his own councillors, (one) who he is suing for defamation.
“This would have to be a Mayor who has more battlefronts open than I have ever seen in history but ultimately it is a decision for him as to how many battles he wants to be having,” Mr Ciobo said.
Asked if that was part of Cr Tate’s job to fight for the city as Mayor, Mr Ciobo added: “Ultimately ratepayers will make a decision about whether they think the best way to advance the city is to have the Mayor at war with basically everyone including his council, State Government, Federal Government and ratepayer groups.
“(Voters) will be deciders of whether or not that is a good approach,” Mr Ciobo said.
In response, Cr Tate told The Gold Coast Bulletin: “I will continue to put the city first, ahead of politics or politicians.”
Confirming he will almost certainly stand for a third successive mayoral term, he added: “My commitment will be judged at the 2020 council elections.”
Among those in Cr Tate’s corner are Destination Gold Coast chairman Paul Donovan, and car dealership business leader and Gold Coast Titans owner Rebecca Frizelle.
Two months ago, Mr Donovan called Cr Tate “the best thing going for the city”.
“Look at the development since he’s been mayor. If I was mayor, copping the criticism he cops, I’d tell the city ‘jam it’,” Mr Donovan said
Ms Frizelle said yesterday it was important the city maintains continuity of leadership “as we do not want the uncertainty that continues to plague politics at the Federal level”.
“Mayor Tate has consistently delivered strong economic and overall growth opportunities for the Gold Coast,” Ms Frizelle said.
“There is no doubt that the Mayor has the Coast’s interest at heart. He is outspoken at times which ruffles some feathers, but we would prefer a passionate leader who ruffled the feathers and kept the city moving forward and creating jobs rather than a leader who was compliant while the city floundered.”
The Mayor’s battlefronts are many and include:
• Accusing Gold Coast Federal MPs Mr Ciobo, Stuart Robert and Karen Andrews of taking the city for granted, saying “do so at your own peril” two weeks ago;
• Launching defamation proceedings against Cr Peter Young and the ABC after a documentary scrutinising council decision-making;
• Telling retailers bemoaning abysmal Commonwealth Games trade “to have a look at your own product”;
• Yanking Gold Coast City Council’s membership – and $235,000 annual fee – from the SouthEast Queensland Council of Mayors, a group which lobbies State and Federal governments for the region. At the time, Cr Tate said the city’s priorities were not necessarily the same as the region’s and he’d work harder to lobby for the city himself;
• Falling out with former council ally Cr Dawn Crichlow after she claimed to have been blindsided by his nowaxed proposal last year for a casino resort in Southport. Cr Crichlow later declared “I’m right off him”;
• Urging the Crime and Corruption Commission – which is investigating a raft of allegations into his council’s conduct – to hurry things up.
WE don’t want powder-puff leadership in this city, so it’s great when elected leaders stand up for what they think.
Mayor Tom Tate sticks up for the Gold Coast. Occasionally there is collateral damage – and that has the city’s Federal Trade and Tourism Minister, Steven Ciobo, blowing up big time, accusing the Mayor of “being at war with everyone’’ and questioning if such a bare-knuckled approach is in fact harming the city.
Ideally our leaders would all be singing from the same songbook on major matters of crucial importance to the city but that rarely happens. And really, do we want a bunch of nodding heads?
If anything, too many of our elected representatives are mute testimony to a lack of political courage, preferring to sit back and be that nodding head.
Not Mr Ciobo though. He’s come out swinging, just like the Mayor. In this instance he might well be right. Perhaps Cr Tate should back off occasionally.
We note Mr Ciobo has never been backward either in throwing a few barbs. He’s taken the Mayor on several times publicly, including over the pop-up urinal in Surfers, the state of the roads and the dive site.
One thing about the Gold Coast political landscape – there’s always argy-bargy.