NEWS
Lord Mayor Graham Quirk has slammed Premier Anna Bligh’s decision to delay local government elections as "disgraceful".
Cr Quirk (pictured) said local government had always had four-year fixed terms and there was no justifiable reason for this to be delayed.
“To suit her own political agenda, the Premier has now disrupted the holding of 73 council elections,” he said.
“It is also a signal of what scant regard the Premier has held for local government that she would use councils as her political plaything to suit her own agenda."
In announcing that the state election would be held on 24 March so that voters could assess the findings of the extended Flood Commission of Inquiry, Ms Bligh said she did not want Queenslanders to go to the polls two Saturdays running. Local council elections would be held in late April or May.
Cr Quirk said: "It is the recommendations out of the Flood Commission of Inquiry that are the important things associated with the commission’s report and I am sure that whoever is elected at a state level will take those into account."
Cr Quirk said there were many options the Premier had to call a State election through until mid-June without disrupting local government elections and without the approval of Parliament.
He said the Premier had backflipped on her promise on 15 January that the March 31 council elections would not be moved to suit her election timetable.
"Good people wanting to make a contribution to their local communities have planned on March 31 and made arrangements to take leave, in many cases without pay, from their work to participate in those elections."
