WATCHDOG FAILING THE PUB TEST

THE watchdog’s intervention of Mayor Tom Tate’s quip about the Chinese and cats while in Townsville last year reflects how the spotlight on scrutiny has become a political toy. It is failing the pub test.

In the same week the chairman of the Crime and Corruption Commission fell on his sword following a damning report into the way that body operates, Gold Coast ratepayers are now facing a $50,000 legal bill for a comment the Mayor made almost a year ago.

The community made its judgment of Mr Tate’s remark at the time – some of it was scathing – and moved on. He apologised.

The question many ratepayers would ask now is what value will they get for their $50,000? The answer is none.

The landscape for anti-corruption bodies has got so murky and diluted that they are prioritising frivolous complaints from the public and councillors narking on each other.

The irony is a state MP can supposedly abuse the Prime Minister and not be investigated. What way is it?

The reality is the Office of the Independent Assessor was hastily formed, is not properly resourced and is failing to deliver the one function it was designed to do, stamp out serious and deliberate wrongdoing.

The Bulletin and any elected individual worth their salt champion full transparency and the ability to punish and abolish misconduct.

That is not happening.