The new Logan City council has voted to retain its “secret” method of choosing the city’s second-top job.
Transparency concerns last week prompted support from some councillors, including Mayor Jon Raven, to rework the way the deputy mayor position is filled.
In the past, the appointment was made through a secret ballot; each of the councillors anonymously vote for their preferred candidate and the nominee with the most votes won.
But last week, at the first council meeting since the March 16 election, there was a push to make the process transparent.
“In every other chamber in Australia, in a state and federal level, votes are actually taken in public,” Cr Teresa Lane said.
“When a vote comes up on anything in the Australian federal parliament or in the state parliaments, it’s a show of hands, there are people to count those votes, and it is a very open and transparent system and I think that is a system we should have here today.”
Cr Natalie Willcocks, on the other hand, voted to keep the secret ballot.
“I am OK with either way,” Cr Willcocks said.
“However, I am very aware that there are 13 of us that are sitting in this room that are about to make a decision on the position of deputy mayor, and I would be concerned that some people would feel under undue influence, or under duress, with 13 of us with hands in the air.”
Cr Lane said councillors were “paid to make those decisions”.
“Whether we are making them in a public system or in a private ballot,” she said.
“If anyone feels they are under undue pressure; they should actually speak up prior to casting their ballot and remove themselves from the ballot if that’s the case.”
The public ballot proposal went nowhere – eight of 13 councillors opted for a secret ballot – but not before receiving the support of Cr Raven, deputy-nominee Cr Scott Bannan (who is now officially deputy), returning Cr Tim Frazer and newcomer Cr Nathan St Ledger.
“There’s no transparency in a secret ballot; the word secret tells you that,” Cr Raven said.
There should be NO SUCH thing as a secret in any local govs elections.
Truth is they are all corporations, with zero power or authority unless you give it to them, people power remains supreme law. Just need to find the intestinal fortitude to exercise it…… 3 tier local gov was never approved via referendum by the people which makes Local gov unlawful. Does it not? Time to wake up sheeple. Monopiles never work, form your own private council with your neighbours, Zoom chat Thursday evenings https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86710448593
(Password is lore ) – 7pm EST. C U there……