Council: Laws ‘confusing’
MAYOR Tom Tate is warning the Local Government Association that new conflict of interest laws are causing confusion and uncertainty among councillors and staff.
The Bulletin has obtained an internal email in which the Mayor asked his chief-ofstaff, Wayne Moran, to contact the LGAQ before it staged a workshop yesterday on the Belcarra legislation.
The Palaszczuk Government has introduced the new laws, stemming from an investigation into allegations involving local government, which require councillors to provide more details about donations and potential conflicts of interest, and to dob in colleagues suspected of hiding information.
The laws also increase jail terms for offenders.
Mr Moran wrote the timing of yesterday’s teleconference was very short and some councillors, and several key personnel, could either not attend or prepare with a “comprehensive range of questions”.
His email said the Mayor “confirms’’ there was confusion, uncertainty, contradictions and obfuscation surrounding the legislation that concerned him, councillors and senior staff.
When contacted, Cr Tate said: “I’ve asked that the LGAQ holds a second workshop, here on the Gold Coast, so SEQ specific councils like us, Redlands and Logan can be briefed and important questions answered. Yes, the new legislation is proving very confusing.”
Some councillors leaving the chamber at meetings this week said they did not understand why they could not participate in debate. Others who have followed a strict regimen about reporting conflicts of interest regarded it as “business as usual”, other than adding more information about the origin of donations.
The reporting has forced changes at City Hall, with Cr Donna Gates leaving the planning committee.
The real impact of the new laws is yet to take effect, with developer donations banned from campaigns and councillors and powerbrokers keeping a watching brief on rivals.
The new laws require any councillor “who knows or reasonably suspects that another councillor has a conflict of interest or material personal interest in a matter” to report to either the committee chairman or chief executive officer.
Councillors who fail to comply with the rules could face “possible removal from office”.
Councillors are provided with forms before meetings to ease the process. They fill in a space on “the nature of the interest” where there is a perceived conflict along with the name of the person, nature of the relationship and value of the gift.
MAYOR TOM TATE