Candidate not disclosing bus ads a ‘mistake’

FAILED Gold Coast mayoral candidate Penny Toland “made a mistake” when she did not disclose advertising paid for by a powerful union, a court was told.

Crown prosecutor Sarah Farndon said Toland tried to justify that mistake by “limiting her knowledge” when she gave evidence during a Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) hearing in June 2017.

Toland is accused of misleading the CCC about what she knew about bus advertisements paid for by the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU).

She has pleaded not guilty in the Brisbane District Court.

After two days of evidence, Ms Farndon yesterday told the jury that it was known the bus advertisements had been the top of a wishlist given to the CFMEU by a Toland campaign staff member.

Throughout the CCC hearing, Toland claimed she did not know about the bus advertising until after it was up.

“You may think it beggared belief that she did not know what was being done in her name in her campaign,” Ms Farndon said.

Toland’s barrister Greg Barns, instructed by Potts Lawyers, said Toland had been “persistent and consistent” about what she knew about the bus advertising.

In the recording of an interview with CCC investigators, Toland said she was not surprised when bus advertisements with her face popped up during the campaign.

“There was heaps of stuff going on,” she said.

Toland told investigators the first she had learned about the money for the bus advertisements was when the CFMEU sent her a disclosure form after the campaign had ended.

The court was told the CFMEU spent more than $38,000 campaigning for Toland, including $14,000 for the bus advertisements.

During the interview played to the court Toland told investigators she had heard Mayor Tom Tate and his chief of staff Wayne Moran had been bullying staff.

“They told me the bullying from Tate is horrendous,” she said. “They gave me examples … I find you get more with honey than vinegar.” Toland told investigators it was about a culture issue and she would not accept funds from anyone who would directly benefit from her as mayor.

CFMEU state secretary Michael Ravbar gave evidence by phone and told the court he had approved funding for the bus advertisements.

The trial continues today.