DITCH ORWELLIAN VIBE IN THIS STATE
LAST week the Queensland Premier described the Office of the Independent Assessor (OIA)’S recent investigation as “a storm in a teacup”. In so doing she exercised her democratic right to comment, which all Australian citizens enjoy. All citizens, with one apparent exception, local councillors of Queensland. The Premier may certainly say that, I can’t possibly comment. No, really. I can’t.
Readers may be surprised to learn that as a Queensland local government councillor, if I was to comment that the actions of the OIA were frivolous, as the Premier inferred with her cups and weather metaphor, I could be found guilty of misconduct. So here is the rub. How come local government councillors are being held to a stricter standard than that of the Premier or any other state or federal member of parliament, and how is it OK that our freedom of speech is curtailed?
The Office of Independent Assessor was established in 2018, as a by-product of the Premier’s directive to “fix” local government following Operation Belcarra’s inquiry into actual or perceived corruption at a local government level. There were no doubt legitimate issues that led to an erosion of public trust in local government – issues that were found to be due to a deficient legislative and regulatory framework. It may be a case, however, of the fix causing more problems than good.
The most recent browraising OIA action is the seven-month investigation into whether Barcaldine Regional Mayor Sean Dillon should be found guilty of misconduct for expressing his concerns about the vaccine rollout in outback Queensland. The OIA is considering his comments to be “detrimental to public confidence”. Are we really OK with an elected representative being investigated for speaking his mind on concerns for his constituents? I am reading Animal Farm with my daughter at the moment –this all sounds eerily familiar.
To make matters worse, when Mayor Dillon exercised his right to challenge the gag on his free speech, the OIA upped the charge from inappropriate conduct to the graver charge of misconduct. He is still waiting to hear the reason for that change. Surely it would not just be because he exercised his legal right to challenge the process.
What councillors are finding particularly worrisome, is not just the double standard of acceptable behaviour, but the risk to free speech of Queenslanders’ most accessible, democratically elected representatives.
Madam Premier, please review the approach and value of the Office of the Independent Assessor. Whilst conducting this review, dust off your high school copy of Animal Farm and consider whether we could do without the Orwellian vibe in Queensland.
To Mayor Sean Dillon, know that councillors across the state have your back. Standing up for our communities is exactly what councillors are meant to do. Brooke Patterson is the City of Gold Coast Councillor for Division 6.