Democracy Fragile in QLD Local Governments

By Callen Sorensen Karklis

In 2024 during the QLD Local Government elections – much like in the NSW local elections – interesting changes occurred in our democracy across the state. Many voters, much like the 2022 Federal Election, voted in troves away from the traditional major party candidates and we saw an uptick to right-wing populist but also progressive independents across QLD in several local councils (this included both Cairns and Redlands), as well as the successful election of Mayoral candidates campaigning on accountability and transparency regardless of their politics, which was the case in Logan (Labor), Ipswich (LNP), Redlands (Teal – Independent) and Cairns (Teal – Independent).

There was also a swing towards the Greens in Inner Brisbane in the Paddington ward area. While Labor and the LNP were mostly the same numbers with the LNP losing 1 to the Greens in Brisbane City Council (BCC) and held their majorities in Ipswich (Labor right old guard from the Pisasale/Antoniolli era) and the LNP (Williams LNP era), despite the public electing popular landslides in those areas. In Townsville and Mackay strong swings towards right wing-populist former One Nations politicians also occurred. Former LNP federal whip turned PHON politician George Christensen was elected to Mackay Council under the Mackay First party ticket while former PHON state candidate Troy Thompson won 52% of the vote against long-term Labor Mayor Jenny Hill.

And in the NSW, we saw both the major parties lose seats where Labor lost 26 and the Liberals 12, with strong swings towards populist movements on the left and right. The Greens gaining 8 seats and the Libertarian party gaining 10 seats, taking advantage of the Liberal state office preselection stuff-up with the NSW electoral commission.

What has occurred since these elections has been nothing short of an absolute shitstorm revealing just how susceptible our democracy truly is to lobbyist and the game of mates! You could be forgiven to think it’s like something out of the Simpsons episode “Mr. Lisa goes to Washington”, which is just how ridiculous it is. In Townsville the former One Nation Mayor was suspended by the State Government after just 8 months into the job after he falsified his work and tertiary background. The people of Townsville turned to a populist after four decades of mostly Labor rule turning to a candidate they didn’t understand. In both Redlands and Ipswich City Councils the major party oligarchs introduced rules to gag their Mayors (who are the real deal though advocating for transparency and accountability) from giving press releases representing their councils while City Councillors made complaints against Redlands Mayor Jos Mitchell for misconduct for online posts contradicting disinformation gaslighting her by reducing her Mayoral duties and responsibilities. Despite being the popularly elected Mayor with 67% of the local vote, while Ipswich LNP Mayor (Teresa Harding) was elected popularly also on 57%.

Part of the problem in these City Councils is that some of the major party players have been in power so long, which has created a culture of nepotism and corruption. As the saying goes, “Absolute power corrupts most absolutely”. In Ipswich the ALP had been in power for 40 years (1979 – 2018) but gradually became a cesspit for factional interest vying for developer interests. In Redlands the LNP had dominated seven decades of its history with three brief one-term periods of Labor reformist or Independents in the early 1990s – late 1990s and late 2000s/early 2010s challenging a similar entrenched culture to Ipswich, but politically in the reverse.

All levels of government have had to clean up in recent times; the Fitzgerald Inquiry led to the cleaning up of the Qld Police in the late 1980s – early 1990s with the introduction of the CCC (Crime Conduction Commission) after the Nicklin/Joh era (1957 – 1989). ICAC findings of the Obeid/MacDonald in the former state Labor governments in the 2000s. And introduction of a federal corruption watchdog by the Albanese Federal Labor Government. But local government was no exception with horrendous issues.

In 2017 – 2018 both Mayors Pisasale and Antoniolli were dismissed from office. Pisasale for perjury, fraud, corruption and sexual assault charges, while Antoniolli was dismissed for fraud charges by the CCC. Both the Ipswich and Logan city councils were dissolved by the QLD Parliament upon serious breaches of the CCC. In Logan LNP aligned Mayor Luke Smith (2016 – 2019) was dismissed for fraud, misconduct, drink driving and breaching bail conditions. In 2020 Former Redland LNP Capalaba Cr Paul Gleeson racked up 17 complaints for sending threatening messages to women and was later convicted of rape. Former Redlands LNP Mayor Karen Williams was charged for drink driving offences in mid-2022 and former Brisbane Labor Leader (2016 – 2019) Cr Peter Cumming in early 2023, also for drink driving.

In 2016 Operation Balcarra a CCC investigation into local governments into the Gold Coast, Moreton, Ipswich and Logan councils to ascertain the following:

• To determine if candidates broke the Local Government Electoral Act 2011 (LGEA).
• To identify practices that could undermine public confidence in local government.
• To develop strategies and reforms to reduce corruption risks.

In its findings it found the CCC found widespread non–compliance with legislative obligations. The CCC reported that local government was a “broken” system and “a hotbed of perceived corruption”. The CCC made 31 recommendations to address corruption risks in local government.

In the end during the Palaszczuk Labor era new laws aimed at improving transparency, accountability, and integrity were introduced. New measures included the following:

• A ban on donations from property developers.
• A new regime for dealing with conflicts of interest.
• Mandatory training for election candidates.
• Transparent candidate bank accounts and financial returns.
• New restrictions on decisions during the election period.

While further reforms were introduced in 2023 to improve the councillor conduct complaints system and the Councillor Conduct Tribunal. While groundbreaking, these reforms were to prevent and mitigate any wrongdoing and combat inappropriate actions, of which is still a culture systemically entrenched in local government. Palaszczuk Labor also failed to introduce recommendations to amend further electoral reforms by not introducing compulsory preferential voting into local government elections in line with state and federal elections, making it much harder for any political candidates regardless of their colour and beliefs to challenge the status quo of entrenchment from incumbents. There is still a culture of bullying and gaslighting in local government where city councillors accuse voters of harassment when in actual fact many either bully others in council or members of the community to push for the objectives no matter the consequences!

This was partially due to the power of the LGAQ (Local Government Association of Queensland Ltd). And in continual influence of the real estate market and developers despite strong transparency and electoral legislative reforms. In Redlands the Walker Corporation waged a 10-year campaign to develop Ramsar wetlands with 3600 units with 10 story high rise buildings proposed there. This had support from all levels of government at one stage. This was however ruled invalid by the Federal Albanese Government via a determination by Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek. But most of the agreements and deals made in the original decade-long proposal was largely kept from the view of the public under secrecy.

We must work to strengthen our corruption watchdogs to give them more teeth to ensure the stability of government. We must also strengthen the role of media particularly in a post-truth world of populism and disinformation ever present and worsening. As the changing media landscape is also seeing the politicization and increased bias of news to sell headlines and saucy stories. There also needs to be a marketing education and early intervention campaign encouraging both the public and our politicians to behave better when it comes to the role of local government. All politics start locally and it’s extremely undervalued because people tend to think more grand on a national or state level, when it starts at the grassroots level on the roads, rates, rubbish issues. There needs to be a cultural change away from politicians’ self-serving their own interests or the interests of their lobbyists’ masters. Wouldn’t it be interesting to see politicians wear sports jacket sponsorships like racing car drivers to see who funds who? Local councils are seen a cash grab or an elite social club and this needs to change! Democracy is fragile in QLD Local Governments, but it doesn’t have to be.

During my time running for public office in local government in 2020 and helping a Mayor become elected with people from all political backgrounds regardless Labor, LNP, Greens, or PHON or independent I have seen people come together to make a difference. But I have also witnessed a pushback from oligarchic behaviour from people who wish to rule like feudal lords, with no opposition to holding them back. That is not how democracy is supposed to function.

Perhaps discussions on cleaning political corruptions regardless of who the perpetrators are or their politics we can prevent systemic issues and people turning to populist as the answer as was the case of the failed experiment in Townsville, or what’s playing out with the MAGA movement and Trump in the US from happening here.

 

Callen Sorensen Karklis was the 2024 QLD State candidate for Oodgeroo. He holds a Bachelor of Government and International Relations from Griffith University and Business Diploma from QLD TAFE. He currently studies a Cert 4 in Youth Work. He has worked in retail, media advertising, union and government roles. He has also been involved with Bayside Crime Stoppers in 2015 – 2016 and was on the Griffith Student Representative Council as the Indigenous Officer during the Pandemic in 2021. He also has been a cohost on 4ZZZ radio programs on Workers Power and Indigi Briz. He was also a coordinator for Jos Mitchell’s Leading Change Team during the 2024 Redland City Council elections. He used to be a local organizer in the Labor Party during the Newman and early Palaszczuk eras and had advised TEAL campaigns.

 

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