Heavyweights back cleared city council
MP: ‘This ain’t Logan or Ipswich’
A GOLD Coast tourism boss and senior MP who went into bat for Mayor Tom Tate and his council as corruption allegations flew say they never doubted City Hall’s integrity.
Destination Gold Coast chair Paul Donovan and Member for Surfers Paradise John-Paul Langbroek both came out in support of Cr Tate and the council while multiple Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) probes were underway into council decisions.
The CCC announced on Friday it had found no corin rupt conduct in investigations of Black Swan Lake being filled in for Gold Coast Turf Club parking, the Surfers Paradise Waterglow development and controversial sale of Surfers Paradise Bruce Bishop Car Park.
Some complaints against council remain with the CCC but hard on the heels of Friday, Cr Tate told critics to “get your credit card out” saying it had been a distressing time and cost the council a lot of money.
Council CEO Dale Dickson said his reputation had been the “plaything” of certain people but he wasn’t surprised by the results.
Mr Donovan said there was no way the CCC could find the council anything but innocent: “There was never any other recommendation than clearing them of some of the ridiculous accusations made,” he said.
“I work closely with them and if I’d seen anything other than absolute professionalism then I would not have been as vocal as I have.
“I’ve never seen, heard or had any indication there was anything other than absolute professionalism from all councillors and the council staff.”
Mr Langbroek, who told Parliament during the probes he was confident there would be nothing to answer for, said the saga cast a shadow over the council with some likening it to Ipswich or Logan where elected politicians are before court.
Mr Langbroek said he had people telling him he was wrong and shouldn’t have said what he said.
“We were being lumped with Logan and Ipswich. People need to have confidence we are equivalent to Brisbane council and processes are robust.”