Your LOCAL
Licensed Insurance Professionals
CALL ACME TODAY We’re here to HELP YOU
Ph: 4068 2170 6A Watkins Street Tully 4854 E tully@acmeinsurance.com.au W www.acmeinsurance.com.au
$1.40 inc GST
Thursday, October 24, 2019
TIGERS LEAGUES CLUB MAKES HUGE DONATIONS TO COMMUNITY PAGE 3
ELI MAKES TULLY QLD’S LOUDEST TOWN, CRUSHES 2019 FUNDRAISING TARGET PAGE 5
FUN GUARANTEED AT MOURILYAN KINDERGARTEN'S MUD RUN PAGE 15
‘Insurer’ Declines to Comment while Council Evasion Continues on Legal Costs
CCRC Correspondent
DOMINIC MOBBS In a week when major media organisations are calling for improved disclosure and the right for the public to know, it appears our Council is content to continue to show disdain for ratepayers and the concept of transparency as a cornerstone of democracy. Many will have read, or heard the Mayor repeatedly denying that ratepayers will have to pay what he admits are the “considerable” legal costs, allegedly
SUV
VALUE
well over $1.0m, spent on several actions over the past two years involving a local couple. One of the Mayor’s statements was headed ‘The Facts’ and was published here in CCIN and The Innisfail Advocate. Council also sponsored the Mayor’s statement, which he read out at a Council meeting, on Facebook. “Council’s insurers will cover these legal costs,” the Mayor continually alleged in his statement. CCIN requested Council
8
provide some confirmation to support this great news. Council has declined citing its inability “while the matter is in progress before the courts.” So it appears we have a ‘fact’ without any actual evidence when all CCIN is doing is seeking assurances regarding the outlay of considerable public monies. The Mayor also repeatedly alleged that the Council’s insurers consented to Council publishing his press releases and that “the statement …was drafted with Council’s insurers and lawyers.” CCIN contacted the ‘insurer’ managers and spoke with the relevant Manager Liability Claims, at Jardine Lloyd Thompson (JLL).
He was asked to confirm that JLL was indeed involved with preparing the Council’s media releases. He repeatedly declined to comment. Quite puzzling when the Mayor has made such a point of it. Let us have a closer look at the Mayor’s most recent statement. What is it really saying, if anything, that can provide comfort to readers about Council’s real situation and whether ratepayers can really expect to have these legal costs reimbursed? Does it add to the information that is already confusing ratepayers that CCIN has been attempting to clarify? First, it does not spell out exactly which legal costs are supposed to be repaid
by the insurer. Council is currently funding and has funded numerous parties across a wide range of various legal and tribunal cases involving the local couple, not just the original defamation case brought on by the CEO. CCIN requested clarification of exactly which cases the insurer will reimburse, and Council declined to elaborate. The Mayor’s statement says, “Council is properly defending it and its employees.” Again this is not wholly accurate. Funds are also being spent on behalf of the mayor, councillors and relatives, plus ex-employees and even it seems the Council’s own solicitor. It appears besides Council
itself, at least nine persons are having, will have or already have had their costs covered by ratepayers. And Council, plus its numerous related parties are not just “defending”, as indicated in the Mayor’s statement. They themselves have commenced a number of the actions. The statement says, “Council …has to protect ratepayer’s money…”. When asked, Council was unwilling, or unable to explain what ratepayers’ money is actually at risk, and what would be the potential loss if actions were halted? They are just a few examples where Council apparently believes the public does not deserve a response to questions
DAYS ONLY 19-26 OCTOBER
Up to 5 Years Free Scheduled Servicing * on every SUV
31 Richardson St, Tully. 4043 9999
sales@islandcoastford.com.au
*Offer available at Island Coast Ford on Ford SUVs to private and small fleet buyers purchased from 19/10/2019 to 26/10/2019 and delivered by 4/11/2019. Subject to change or extension. Offer includes standard scheduled servicing requirements, being A and B logbook services and Additional Scheduled Maintenance Items as listed in Customer Assistance, Service and Warranty Guide, for up to 5 years/75,000kms, whichever occurs first. Buyers must comply with the recommended scheduled servicing intervals. Excludes any other service or maintenance work required including if your vehicle is operated under severe or unusual conditions (and requires an additional C logbook service). Your dealer will discuss these with you prior to performing the work. Offer end date does not apply to MY19 Everest, for which the offer continues while stocks last. See ford.com.au for full terms.
about the process that lead to the outlay of substantial public monies. CCIN considers these are reasonable straightforward queries on behalf of its readers. Declining to provide such basic information to the public, based on spurious notions about impact on current legal cases, simply increases the impression Council has something to hide about how it is spending ratepayer funds. CCIN will not be perturbed. It will continue to research, ask questions, report on this matter, and hold Council accountable for what appears, in the absence of any evidence to the contrary, to be a questionable outlay of public monies.