Queensland’s Councillor Conduct Tribunal determined recently that Redland City Councillor Paul Gleeson (Division 9) engaged in misconduct on four occasions in late 2018.
The Tribunal fined Cr Gleeson a total of $2,100 payable to Redland City Council and ordered that he be reprimanded for each of the four misconduct findings.
Cr Gleeson has a long and exceptional record of failing to comply with the standard of conduct required of a councillor, since being re-elected in March 2016. This record includes three previous findings of misconduct and several findings of inappropriate conduct as detailed on the Councilor Conduct Register – pre December 2018.
During the current term of council, the only other Redland City councillor to have been disciplined is Mayor Karen Williams who was found to have engaged in one count of misconduct for failure to declare a conflict of interest.
Details of Cr Gleeson’s latest misconduct findings
On 25 September Cr Gleeson engaged in misconduct on his Facebook page.
On 23 October 2018, Councillor Gleeson verbally threatened a Councillor in the Councillor lounge by shouting words “your gone” and “I’m coming after you”. The Tribunal found that this was misconduct, saying: “The nature of the conduct was verbally intimidating or threatening, which is conduct that the community would not expect of its elected representative, and fails to fulfil the trust reposed in the councillor by the community.”
On or about 6 November 2018, Cr Gleeson disclosed information on his Facebook page about a freedom of information application which constituted a breach of the trust placed in him as a councillor. The Tribunal said: “Disclosure of non-public details obtained by a Councillor in the course of his duties as a Councillor, regarding an individual’s freedom of information request, put the Council at risk of a possible contravention of the law.”
On 28 December 2018, Cr Gleeson made comments on his Facebook page which did not show respect for members of the public, and the behaviour failed to maintain the dignity of the office of councillor. The Tribunal said: “It was considered that due to the disciplinary history of the councillor involving social media misuse and the previous training specifically provided on social media use, that the conduct as alleged was reckless, and properly characterised as a breach of trust rather than inappropriate conduct.”
A summary of these four findings of misconduct (including the Tribunal’s reasons and disciplinary actions) was recently posted on the Department of Local Government website.
Queensland laws relating to local government require that complaints against councillors are made on the basis that the identity of the person making a complaint is not made publicly known. Redlands2030 understands that the latest batch of misconduct findings against Cr Gleeson result from complaints made by more than one person.
Redlands2030 – 12 September 2019
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3 Comments
My view. Yes, agree Redland City Council seemingly run by an Investment Corporation, should be sacked. Why are other councils under investigation & not this one? I’m angry that a Capalaba park I helped establish for local families on Mt Cotton Rd was abruptly taken away from them in dead of night by placing, transported in two trucks, a caravan RSL no longer had use for, on perimeter of the park so when Betty, whose late husband Keith, WWII veteran, planted trees for her to view through kitchen window over fence, was horrified to see one morning, a toilet. Michael Choi was Capalaba MP at the time, sign on facility read “Boystown”. Older boys than expected were counselled there with Mr Choi & Mayor Williams introducing them to Betty & neighbour but meeting was unpleasant & none of elderly retired residents on the park attended official opening. Over the years residents were subjected to footballs on roofs, drums drowning out TV, etc. etc. When finally Boystown no longer needed facility, vacant six months, resident phoned Cr Gleeson asking return park to local families, no reply. Mayor Williams has total control over this park one resident says will most likely have houses on it one day? Top end had new cricket pitch built for use of father & son on occasion. Would this be an idea of ex-Mayor Don Seccombe, former cricketer who is perhaps promoting the sport?
No person in a leadership position should ever consider selling to developers, established parks & reserves that provide open green spaces to relax, meet neighbours, & watch children at play as planned prior to last local govt election. Mayor thankfully, relented & today parks are being cared for although in Capalaba, one tunnel slide replacing one I repainted in Chantelle Court Park near TAFE grounds, injured a 3-yr old’s toe hitting a seam inside. The slide I hoped Council would provide, having handed photo to Cr Elliott, saw it in one of his Alex Hills parks. Family now take their children to other parks. Crotona Rd park is the other one under Cr Elliott’s division, with families saying it needs upgrading. Apart from small & large sized slide, there are swings nothing much else to interest locals & with a long hot summer ahead, there should be especially since families in nearby units at 19 Crotona Rd complained to me of no families using the park due to lack of play equipment.
I’m angry at ex-Mayor Don Seccombe’s interference with our much loved, those of us who care about wildlife and bushcare, Indigiscapes Centre. With chicken farm gone, the corridor along to where Indigiscapes is undergoing restoration, was gifted to the Centre but it’s my understanding Mayor Seccombe changed the corridor for ‘community’ use which paved the way for Mayor Williams to build a sprawling bldg dedicated to people with disabilities known as “My Horizon”.. close to her heart where over past 2 years handed a Senior Citizen Award on Australia Day to members attached to the group. This corridor, all of it, should rightfully have been saved for all things wild and wonderful to connect with Indigiscapes centre where the native plant nursery had been located. It is now totally out of place where it is in isolation surrounded by a thick heavy wire fence with raised plants under the blazing Queensland sun, skin cancer capital of the world. Not a nice view, in spite of what Cr Elliott’s spin doctors have to say in his newsletters.
Building for people with disabilities should have been close by the main road with easy parking. Older people are not comfortable driving down a slope along a winding road to reach the building so out of place. Now let’s see what they plan for the Commonwealth land in Birkdale…as we have already heard of some ideas totally inappropriate for the area.
I’m sorry but this continual misbehaviour and infighting within Redland City Council goes even further than Cr Paul Gleeson. The Mayor has also been found to have engaged in one count of misconduct for failure to declare a conflict of interest. There are some hard working councillors but overall Redland City Council has been failing the residents in the same way that the Ipswich City Council failed the residents of Ipswich. One of the councillors, Cr Paul Golle, has stated that the Council has no choice but to continue supporting the Walker Corporation Proposal because it signed a legally binding contract with Walker Corporation, binding on the Council but not on the Walker Corporation. Cr Golle stated that to withdraw support for Walker now could send the Council bankrupt. The Council did not even investigate the environmental and infrastructure implications before signing a one sided agreement with Walker. I believe it is time for Redland City Council to be dismissed.
How many chances does a Councillor get?
It seems appalling to me that the norm is “Three strikes and you are out!” but this does not seem to apply to Gleeson.