Local Government (Dissolution of Ipswich City Council) Bill 2018

As Minister for Local Government, introduced and defended the bill as necessary to restore good local governance to Ipswich following significant corruption charges and governance failures identified by CCC investigations.

“It is our collective responsibility to restore good government—good local government—to the community of Ipswich. In doing that, we will have delivered certainty.”— 2018-08-21View Hansard

Supported the bill while heavily criticising the Labor government's handling of the issue, arguing the government should have acted months earlier and that the corruption stemmed from Labor Party activities at the council.

“When it comes before the opposition to comment on the identified and significant governance failures and cultural issues within the Ipswich City Council, it is clear that this case just does not pass the pub test.”— 2018-08-21View Hansard

As chair of the Economics and Governance Committee that inquired into the draft bill, supported the legislation while acknowledging it is not about punishing individual councillors but addressing systemic failures of governance.

“We best support Ipswich by supporting this bill—going through this difficult period and coming out the other side better for it with public confidence restored.”— 2018-08-21View Hansard

Drawing on his own experience as a sacked councillor, supported the bill as necessary but expressed sympathy for clean councillors caught up in the matter and lamented the shadow cast over all local governments.

“It is a very sad day when the minister has to bring into this House legislation to sack the Ipswich City Council. From our perspective, it is even sadder that, basically, the opposition has to support the government in that.”— 2018-08-21View Hansard

Supported the bill as the third attempt to provide certainty for Ipswich residents, while warning against using this case to centralise power away from local councils and calling for transparency around the advisory committee appointments.

“I will not be opposing the bill because the intent is correct. The minister is trying to solve a problem that is real and needs solving. The community needs certainty to be able to get on after a very chequered period.”— 2018-08-21View Hansard

As the local member for Ipswich, strongly supported the bill to restore community confidence after months of scandal, emphasising that ratepayers and business owners had lost faith in the council.

“It would be an injustice to the Ipswich people to keep delaying a decision on dismissing the council or for the council to delay dismissal by going to the Supreme Court.”— 2018-08-21View Hansard

Supported the bill while emphasising that over 99% of councillors statewide have no issues, and criticised Labor for allowing the problems to fester over many years before acting.

“Something does not fester unless it is allowed to remain in a state for a long period of time. Something does not become systemic unless it has had an opportunity over many, many years to ripple all the way through an organisation.”— 2018-08-21View Hansard

Supported the bill while criticising the government's delayed response to corruption allegations that were raised years earlier, and expressing concern about the bill's breaches of fundamental legal principles.

“If the government took prompt and appropriate action when these allegations were first aired, maybe this culture would not have had time to become entrenched and this unprecedented legislation would not be required.”— 2018-08-21View Hansard

As Premier, defended the bill as fulfilling her commitment to take definitive action for Ipswich residents who deserve better than a council that has lost two mayors to corruption charges.

“The standard you walk by is the standard you accept. Despite their protestations of innocence, the councillors have walked by a standard that the people of Queensland do not accept and that my government does not accept.”— 2018-08-21View Hansard

As Leader of the Opposition, supported the bill while arguing the mess was entirely Labor's fault, criticising the government's bungled handling and calling for the administrator to have no Labor Party connections.

“It is fitting that it is a Labor government that has been forced to dissolve the Labor Ipswich City Council. I believe that if you make the mess then you should clean it up. This mess is 100 per cent owned by the Queensland Labor Party.”— 2018-08-21View Hansard

Delivered an impassioned speech supporting the bill, having warned for years about corruption at the council and faced personal attacks for speaking out. Called for a forensic audit and complete clean-out of the council.

“This is the day that the people of Ipswich reclaim their city. It is the day when corruption hopefully stops. It is the day when the light can be shone on every corner of our city's administration.”— 2018-08-21View Hansard

Supported the bill while defending his committee questioning about local representation mechanisms and urging the government to ensure the administrator has power to make real reforms, not just mark time until 2020.

“We are only debating this bill, unprecedented as it is—a bill to dismiss a council by specific legislation—because the government has completely failed to do the job it set out to do under the Local Government Act.”— 2018-08-21View Hansard

As a new member representing part of Ipswich, supported the bill with a heavy heart, acknowledging the conflict between old and new ways of doing things in the region.

“I rise to make a contribution to the Local Government (Dissolution of Ipswich City Council) Bill 2018, and I do so with a heavy and conflicted heart.”— 2018-08-21View Hansard

Supported the bill while praising the member for Bundamba's courage in speaking out and criticising the Labor government for being dragged kicking and screaming to act on corruption.

“I can almost see the drag marks on the carpet where Labor members of parliament were dragged kicking and screaming to act on the stench of corruption hanging over the Labor aligned Ipswich City Council.”— 2018-08-21View Hansard

Supported the bill while criticising the LNP's 2012 local government reforms as enabling the governance failures, and countering opposition claims by citing the former LNP minister's collaboration with the disgraced mayor.

“Today is a really sad day. I think it is fair to say that we have seen some of the darkest days in local government in recent times.”— 2018-08-21View Hansard

Supported the bill while detailing his correspondence with the CCC about conversations he witnessed regarding the Premier's knowledge of corruption allegations, calling it Labor's fourth attempt to fix the mess.

“What a mess! What a mess the Labor Party has got into with the Ipswich City Council. There is no doubt that the community of Ipswich knows that this is the Labor Party's mess.”— 2018-08-21View Hansard

Supported the bill while defending the integrity of regional councillors across his 10 local government areas, contrasting their community service ethic with the self-interest evident at Ipswich.

“We are having this debate today to put an end to the ongoing scandal, corruption and maladministration unfolding at Labor's Ipswich City Council.”— 2018-08-21View Hansard

Supported the bill while emphasising the seriousness of replacing elected representatives for two years, and criticising the government's multiple failed attempts to address the issue.

“Transparency and accountability are, and should be, at the heart of all levels of government. The primary objective of this bill is to dissolve the Ipswich City Council and provide for the appointment of an interim administrator.”— 2018-08-21View Hansard

Supported the bill as necessary to give Ipswich a fresh start, while expressing concern about limited oversight mechanisms and calling for more decentralised, community-engaged governance approaches.

“Sacking the Ipswich City Council is truly a grave step, but I acknowledge the government has said that is their proposal and I support them in that. The people of Ipswich do deserve a fresh start.”— 2018-08-21View Hansard