Tate: Conflict of interest laws need tweaking
MAYOR Tom Tate believes new conflict of interest laws may have to be tweaked to be workable after nearly half the council left the chambers during the Bruce Bishop car park debate.
Councillor Tate yesterday also took aim at the state’s corruption watchdog and asked for a quick resolution to its investigation into the council.
In unprecedented scenes at a full council meeting on Tuesday, only eight out of 15 councillors remained in the chamber, voting six to two to sell the asset, while the rest left after declaring potential conflicts of interest.
At times the meeting stopped when remaining councillors had to leave temporarily or, in the case of veteran Daphne McDonald, stormed out after clashing with the acting chairman, Cr Cameron Caldwell.
She later returned.
As soon as any one of the remaining eight councillors left the chambers, there was no longer a majority of the full council present and therefore no quorum.
“Before these new laws were there, we were all in there declared and considerate, and would stay in the room,” Cr Tate said.
“That’s what democracy is about and serving the people is about. (On Tuesday) it stopped seven other people to be able to voice and enter the debate. “We will play by the rules. “But I think you have a look, in the next 12 months they are going to need to tweak this new law. It’s not going to be workable, especially in the small country towns.”
The Palaszczuk Government brought in new laws in May, stemming from an investigation into allegations local government.
The new laws require councillors to provide more details about donations and potential conflicts of interest, and to dob in colleagues suspected of hiding information.
In a letter to the Local Government Association in June, Cr Tate said the new laws were causing uncertainty among councillors and staff.
He yesterday called on the Crime and Corruption Commission to sort out its investigation into his council.
He said he respected the confidentiality of the CCC but involving was “muzzled about my view” after allegations were detailed in the media.
Cr Tate said if the council had nothing to answer, the CCC should make public its findings.
“So I haven’t heard from them. So there’s no concern,” he said.
“I mean I’ve said before, justice delayed is justice denied.
“Come on down, sort it out, so that people can move on.
“You’ve said you’re coming down. Come on down.
“All the books, the statements, whatever you want to know, it’s all there.”