Published Thursday, 05 June, 2008 at 05:45 AM
Minister for Main Roads and Local Government
The Honourable Warren Pitt
Gold Coast City Council request to media outlets branded as hare-brained
Local Government Minister Warren Pitt says the Gold Coast City Council is barking up the wrong tree by asking media outlets to cost their expenditure in the lead up to the 15 March local government elections.
Mr Pitt said the Gold Coast City Council had fundamentally misinterpreted the Local Government Act in seeking the information from media outlets.
“I’m not sure where this hare-brained idea has come from, but it needs to be knocked on the head quickly.”
Mr Pitt said he was astounded to be advised that the Gold Coast City Council had written to media outlets asking them to provide details of their expenditure in connection with the local government elections.
“The legislation expressly applies to third parties who incur expenditure for political purposes,” he said.
“Media outlets make money for business purposes by writing stories and publishing information – they don’t incur expenditure for political purposes.
“It is not and never has been the intention of the legislation that media outlets are required to declare the information sought by the Gold Coast City Council.
“It is not and never has been the government’s policy that newspapers and other media outlets would need to submit third party expenditure forms.
“I can’t imagine how or why the Gold Coast City Council would think that the legislation should be applied in the way they have tried to do.
“The Director-General of the Department of Local Government has contacted the chief executive officer of the Gold Coast City Council to advise that their action is nonsensical, has no basis in law, and that they should withdraw these letters to media outlets,” Mr Pitt said.
Media contact: Minister Pitt’s Office 3227 8819
Mr Pitt said the Gold Coast City Council had fundamentally misinterpreted the Local Government Act in seeking the information from media outlets.
“I’m not sure where this hare-brained idea has come from, but it needs to be knocked on the head quickly.”
Mr Pitt said he was astounded to be advised that the Gold Coast City Council had written to media outlets asking them to provide details of their expenditure in connection with the local government elections.
“The legislation expressly applies to third parties who incur expenditure for political purposes,” he said.
“Media outlets make money for business purposes by writing stories and publishing information – they don’t incur expenditure for political purposes.
“It is not and never has been the intention of the legislation that media outlets are required to declare the information sought by the Gold Coast City Council.
“It is not and never has been the government’s policy that newspapers and other media outlets would need to submit third party expenditure forms.
“I can’t imagine how or why the Gold Coast City Council would think that the legislation should be applied in the way they have tried to do.
“The Director-General of the Department of Local Government has contacted the chief executive officer of the Gold Coast City Council to advise that their action is nonsensical, has no basis in law, and that they should withdraw these letters to media outlets,” Mr Pitt said.
Media contact: Minister Pitt’s Office 3227 8819