This was published 3 months ago
‘Inexcusable mistake’ forces redo of first Brisbane council meeting
By Matt Dennien
Brisbane City Hall hosted its first meeting of the new council on Tuesday, driving a steady stream of the elected officials posting photos to mark their swearing-in.
Except it was a false start.
Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said councillors “have every right to be frustrated” with the “inexcusable mistake”.Credit: Felicity Caldwell
Unknown to all involved, the declarations of office read were missing a line about the code of conduct, raising questions about their validity and the decisions that followed.
Based on the meeting agenda, these included fixing the time for the first ordinary meeting, establishing committees, appointing their chairs – who make up civic cabinet – and members.
Councillors will now hold a do-over meeting next Tuesday, according to documents sent out by outgoing chief executive Colin Jensen on Thursday, in which he apologised on behalf of the council and described the situation as an “administrative error”.
While Jensen said it was arguable “substantive compliance” with the declaration could be enough, all councillors would be asked to provide him with a new declaration over the phone before the next meeting.
“As I am sure you will all agree, whilst this is inconvenient, it is a necessary step to ensure that all decision-making within the organisation is free from arguments around validity,” he wrote.
The Local Government Act code of conduct states that councillors must make a declaration of office before assuming their public role and commit to abiding by all obligations, including the code.
In a statement on Friday, Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said Brisbane councillors “have every right to be frustrated” with the administrative error.
“This is an inexcusable mistake and I have expressed my profound disappointment to the CEO,” said Schrinner, who was sworn in separately and was not required to repeat the process.
Meanwhile, Labor’s Opposition Leader Jared Cassidy sought to pin the “significant mistake” on the Schrinner administration.
“The day that councillors are sworn in is where our work can really begin, so it’s frustrating it wasn’t actually official,” Cassidy said.
Jensen, who has served in the role for 13 years – the second-longest stint in council history – told staff before the bungle he had decided it was “time to say goodbye” as focus turned to the next four years.
There was no suggestion of a link between the events.
“My enduring reflection is the quality and competence of our people. Brisbane City Council is widely known for its usually exemplary service and I am confident that we will continue to improve,” Jensen said in the Wednesday email.
Schrinner said managing the country’s largest council was a demanding job and he respected Jensen’s decision after more than a decade supporting the city, “which no doubt also came at the expense of time with loved ones”.
“Colin has helped guide Brisbane City Council during an incredibly exciting chapter in our city’s history.”
Jensen’s last day in the role, which pays upwards of $700,000 a year, will be April 26, with senior manager Tim Wright to act in the top job while a recruitment process is done.