Gold Coast deputy mayor's voting pattern puts donation laws in spotlight
Queensland’s developer donations laws should be reviewed, an academic says, following a report a Gold Coast councillor voted on dozens of applications despite declaring a potential conflict of interest beforehand.
The ABC has reported the Gold Coast deputy mayor, Donna Gates, declared a “real or perceived conflict of interest” on more than 30 applications since last year’s election.
Gates cast her vote in each application regardless, a practice that is allowed under Queensland legislation.
In New South Wales property developer donations are illegal, while in Victoria councillors who receive donations of $500 or more from a person or company with a direct interest in a matter at a council meeting must immediately declare a conflict of interest and leave the room before any discussion or vote takes place.
Prof Clive Bean from the Queensland University of Technology has called for Queensland’s laws to reflect
community attitudes towards
potential conflicts of interest.
“It’s a matter of conforming, in a way, to community standards,” Bean said. “People are now of the view that conflicts of interest are important to be revealed and acted upon.
“If one can’t show quite clearly that one can be impartial, then the obvious thing to do is to stand aside and let people who are impartial deal with relevant matters.”
Gates defended her actions, saying there was no suggestion she had done anything wrong because she declared her potential conflicts of interest.
She denied any implication her votes had been influenced by donations to her campaign.
“When I’ve stayed in the room, I’ve stayed in the room to ensure a better outcome for the community, nothing else,” Gates said. “It’s fairly disappointing it’s being portrayed in the way it is.”
Gates was elected unopposed at last year’s local election and it has been reported she has declared $174,000 in campaign donations since that poll.