Integrity Commissioner Dr Nikola Stepanov and CCC Chairperson Alan MacSporran QC
Integrity and accountability of elected representatives will be discussed by high profile guest speakers at a community forum in the Redlands on 9th August 2018.
MPs Kim Richards and Don Brown are inviting the community to a forum about integrity and accountability.
The event is being hosted by two state government politicians, Kim Richards the MP for Redlands and Don Brown the MP for Capalaba.
Special guest speakers at the forum will be:
- Queensland Integrity Commissioner Dr Nikola Stepanov
- Chair of the Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission Mr Alan MacSporran QC
Anyone interested in attending should RSVP to Kim Richards’ electorate office: Redlands@parliament.qld.gov.au
The forum is being held at My Horizons, Runnymeade Road, Capalaba, commencing at 6:00pm
Speaking about the forum, Kim Richards said:
It’s an important conversation to have with our community on the standards they should expect of their elected representatives and also the roles of both offices.
In my Parliamentary Induction I received presentation from both the Crime and Corruption Commissioner and the Integrity Commissioner.
The Integrity Commissioner Dr Stepanov said that community education was part of her role and that she would be delighted to do a presentation for our community when I asked her.
Queensland Integrity Commissioner
The Queensland Integrity Commissioner is responsible for advising elected representatives and senior public sector officials about any ethics or integrity issue, including a conflict of interest issue.
The Commissioner also maintains the Queensland Register of Lobbyists.
Mayors and other local councillors have been able to access the Commissioner for advice since February 2018. This reform was implemented by Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe in response to a recommendation by the Crime and Corruption Commission.
The importance of ethical behaviour in local government was addressed by Redlands2030 in Mayors and ethics: a tale of two cities.
Crime and Corruption Commission
The Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) is is a statutory body set up to combat and reduce the incidence of major crime and corruption in the public sector in Queensland.
In 2017 the CCC undertook the Operation Belcarra investigation into into issues related to corruption and integrity in local government.
Following public hearings from April to October 2017 (which were chaired by Alan MacSporran) a report with 31 recommendations was published by the CCC.
The CCC found widespread non-compliance with legislative obligations relating to local government elections and political donations.
Some of the CCC’s recommendations such as a ban on political donations by property developers have resulted in changes to Queensland laws.
Since the 2016 local government elections four mayors and a number of other councillors and public officials have been charged by the CCC with various offences including corruption.
Some investigations are ongoing.
Redlands2030 – 21 July 2018
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One Comment
I have requested two tickets for the forum on 9th August on accountability in local government because I am very concerned about conflict of interest within Redland City Council. I am pleased to see the CCC is taking seriously the donations being offered by developers to various elected positions because these donations can result in a conflict of interest. The decisions which are made by councils can leave a financial burden on rate payers for many years to come and lack of infrastructure can result in heavy congestion on our road network.