6th September 2007The Beattie government’s impossible deadline for all council transition
committees to have met by Sunday was confirmed in an email from Local
Government Department director general to councils and unions, the State
Coalition said today.
Shadow Local Government Minister Howard Hobbs said Department head
Michael Kinnane emailed all councils, unions and transmission committee
members on Tuesday* warning them that under the Beattie government’s new
laws they must have met and to have provided notice of their first
meeting by September 9.
“This email also confirms the Beattie government’s forced amalgamation
agenda is primarily about enshrining power in unions with Mr Kinnane
instructing these committees to time their meetings to fit in with union
members who are on up to eight committees,” Mr Hobbs said.
“Mr Beattie’s agenda has absolutely nothing to do with building stronger
councils or stronger communities. It’s all about building stronger
unions.
“Mr Beattie has stacked the committees with union hacks and ordered an
impractical deadline for meetings about the future of our communities.”
Mr Hobbs said the Coalition had already revealed that many un-elected
union delegates were on up to eight committees, including former ALP
Member for Burdekin Steve Rodgers who’d been appointed by Mr Beattie to
four transmission committees in Far North Queensland.
“Given the deadline in Mr Kinnane’s strongly worded email, you’ve got to
ask if Mr Beattie is providing his union mates Ferraris, because that’s
what they’ll need to get to all the meetings by the end of the week.”
Media Contact – Howard Hobbs 0428 152 656