Mayors in power talks

QUEENSLAND mayors are set to discuss where they sit on a proposal to give the Local Government Minister unprecedented powers to stand down councillors facing criminal charges.

Local Government Association of Queensland chief executive Greg Hallam said it would be discussed at the LGAQs policy executive meeting of 16 mayors on April 27.

Asked whether he supported the proposal, Mr Hallam said it was a question for the LGAQ policy executive meeting and he was “not going to make policy on the fly”.

“The bottom line is, as it stands, the minister doesn’t have the power,” he said.

“Until such time as the Parliament changes the law it’s all a bit academic.

“The (policy executive meeting) is well and truly before the next sitting of Parliament. That will be a question we take to them.”

Discussion about whether the Minister should have wider powers has been triggered by Logan Mayor Luke Smith’s refusal to stand aside while defending criminal charges.

Smith is accused of perjury and corruption. He says he will vigorously defend the charges.

Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe has said the Government was “strongly considering” widened powers to stand down councillors. It had merit where councillors on criminal charges were “being distracted from the job,” he said.

Mr Hinchliffe on Thursday met with five Logan councillors who have argued Mr Smith’s position as mayor has become “untenable”.

The meeting underlined mounting pressure from politicians spanning three tiers of government for Mr Smith to stand aside from the job.

However, should Mr Smith do so, he would likely continue to pick-up his $235,000 a year salary while not performing his job for an extended period of time while defending the matters.