Nationals Plunder Councils to Fund Political Campaign

17 July 2007

Nationals Plunder Councils to Fund Political Campaign

The Queensland National Party have been caught red handed in an orchestrated effort to plunder tens of thousands of dollars from local councils across Queensland, Local Government Minister Andrew Fraser said today.

Mr Fraser said evidence has emerged that Shadow Local Government Minister Howard Hobbs had approached Mareeba Shire Council for $25,000 to fund a political campaign against local government reform.

“Minutes from Mareeba Shire Council’s meeting of 5 June clearly show the Opposition had approached council to bankroll their misinformation campaign (see attached council minutes),” Mr Fraser said.

“This is grubby politics from the Nationals who are hellbent on lifting their flagging popularity in the bush.

“It is now time for Jeff Seeney to come clean about which councils have contributed to their fund and by how much.

“Has this money been disclosed to Electoral Commission Queensland?

Speaking at Budget Estimates hearings today Mr Fraser raised questions over Cloncurry Mayor Ed Morrison’s role given he has publicly admitted that his own council had contributed $25,000 to the fund. (see attached article)

“It’s extraordinary that the National candidate for the Federal seat of Kennedy has used ratepayer’s money to fund a political campaign,” Mr Fraser said.

“Has he got the interests of ratepayers at heart or is this merely a personal crusade to lift his profile prior the Federal election?”

Mr Fraser said the Government has launched a statewide information campaign encouraging Queenslanders to consider the facts of local government reform.

“There has been a lot of National Party scaremongering about the reform process and it’s time people got the bare facts,” he said.

“Our local government boundaries are more than 100 year’s old.

“We need a modern local government that can move with the times not a system where 40 per cent of councils are suffering from financial distress.”

Media Contact: Chris Ward 3227 8821 or 0418 424 654 Page 1 of 4