The Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) has partnered with the Electoral Commission of Queensland (ECQ), the Office of the Independent Assessor (OIA), and the Queensland Integrity Commissioner (QIC) to encourage everyone to play by the rules in the lead-up to Queensland’s local government elections on March 28.
During a joint media conference held on 4 March 2020, CCC Chairperson Alan MacSporran, QC, urged candidates to run fair, honest, transparent and legal campaigns so the upcoming elections can be fair for all across Queensland.
The CCC partnered with the ECQ, OIA and the QIC to proactively write to sitting councillors reminding them to adhere to relevant laws, and to alert them to some of the common pitfalls observed during previous elections.
Despite uncovering troubling conduct in the local government sector in recent years – which at times has reached a criminal threshold – the CCC understands that most candidates, councillors and mayors put their hand up for election to their local council for the right reasons and to positively serve their community.
Crime and corruption prosper when individuals put their private interests before the public interest. It’s that simple.
Building strong cultures of integrity is the single most significant action our public sector leaders at all levels can take to address corruption. Leaders need to lead, and set the tone from the top.
One of the most important things councillors and public servants can do to ensure the public interest comes before any private interest is to manage conflicts of interest.
Having a perceived, potential or actual conflict is not in itself a problem.
The issue lies in how it is declared and managed. Be open, honest and transparent about these things because from the CCC’s experience, not managing these situations when they occur in the first place often leads to worse outcomes.
Don’t misuse the complaints process
The CCC wishes to advise candidates and members of the public during this local government election not to make false or vexatious complaints to the CCC or the OIA.
It can be a very serious criminal offence to supply false information or knowingly make false complaints.
The CCC takes this seriously, and where we have information to suggest a complaint was made for the wrong reasons, we will consider our options. This includes charging the person who misuses the process with a criminal offence.
If you do have a genuine complaint or concern, it is always best to bring it to the CCC or other relevant agencies confidentially. Let us do our job.
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- We publish a range of information relevant to our work. You can subscribe to receive email alerts direct to your inbox at: https://www.ccc.qld.gov.au/subscribe-updates
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How the CCC’s Operation Belcarra has positively impacted on local government reform
Between April and June 2017, the CCC conducted nine days of public hearings into Operation Belcarra, which identified issues related to corruption and integrity in local government.
The report addressed issues of equity, transparency, integrity and accountability in local government, and recommended extensive reform in the local government sector with the dual purpose of decreasing corruption risks and increasing public confidence.
Since that time, there has been a rolling program of legislative reform to strengthen the framework. It is important for all candidates, including long-serving councillors who are running again in 2020, to be aware of their legal obligations.
Lessons from Carl Wulff – The Inside Story
Former Ipswich City Council CEO, Carl Wulff, had no previous criminal history.
On the contrary, he had had a long and well-regarded career in local government. But on 15 February 2019, Carl Wulff pleaded guilty to two counts of official corruption and one count of attempting to pervert the course of justice following the CCC’s Operation Windage. Mr Wulff was sentenced to five years imprisonment, to be suspended after 20 months.
In the following video, released by the CCC to mark International Anti-Corruption Day 2019, Mr Wulff details from prison the impact on himself, his family, his finances and the ultimate price he paid for becoming involved in corruption.
Carl Wulff offered to record the video so that others could learn from his mistakes. As he found out, taking corrupt payments was not a solution to his problems – in fact, it was just the beginning of them.
Watch the video, Carl Wulff – The Inside Story on our YouTube Channel.
Important CCC links
• Read the joint media release from the CCC, ECQ, OIC and OIA
• Read the CCC’s corruption prevention publications, Prevention in Focus
• Read the CCC’s Operation Belcarra report
• Report corruption to the CCC
Additional resources
• To access councillor resources, or to lodge a councillor conduct complaint, visit the OIA’s website here.
• To access local government information material from the OIC, click here.
• To see candidate requirements for the 2020 local government elections, visit the ECQ’s information page here.
