Mayor lashes out at Dawn
MAYOR Tom Tate has appeared to suggest Councillor Dawn Crichlow consider resigning after she spoke out about the likely transport chaos for athletes during the Commonwealth Games.
The two powerful Gold Coast politicians are feuding after the veteran Southport councillor was cut from all council committees except one after a day of political bloodshed at the last full council meeting in December.
Cr Crichlow in a Bulletin report on December 8 was the first city representative to talk publicly about traffic concerns because she feared athletes could be “stressed” trying to get to venues on time.
The Mayor, in a letter to all councillors three days later, wrote: “To me the article and comments were little more than cheap shots using an issue that is very emotive for Gold Coasters and other regular users of the M1.
“I note that nothing constructive came from the comments made and it only served to raise fears and cause alarm.”
Cr Tate told councillors that he expected them to promote the city “rather than seeking cheap publicity by making populist and shallow comments on already emotive issues”.
“Of course divisional councillors may make personal statements on any issue. I am not curbing this. However councillors must clearly articulate that personal comments incongruent with council’s position are theirs alone,” he added.
“However if you can’t resist seeking publicity for yourself at the expense of the best interests of the City then you may need to reconsider your community leadership role as a councillor altogether.”
Cr Crichlow declined to comment but documents obtained by the Bulletin show about midday the next day she had fired back an email to the Mayor.
“In your email you are having an absolute go at me and accusing me of cheap shots about the transportation of the athletes who could be stressed if there was a delay in transport,” she wrote.
“You go on in a threating way and say that you want us to think first about the City’s reputation being damaged from such political statements.
“I take offence to your last paragraph where you say “if you can’t resist seeking publicity for yourself at the expense of the best interests of the City then you may need to reconsider your community leadership role as a councillor altogether.”
Cr Crichlow maintained the article did not damage the city’s reputation and the Mayor himself had caused more harm by talking about the Coast’s crime problems on the television news.
Cr Tate declined to comment about the emails.