Southern Downs Regional Mayor Ron Bellingham believes the Queensland Government was disrespectful to councils when it decided to push back the Local Government election from March 31 to April 28.
This allowed the State election to be set down for March 24.
Cr Bellingham said councillors were voted in on a fixed term and so this should remain.
“I do believe a fixed term is a fixed term. Now we find because of the pressure apparently on the State Government, it is prepared to brush aside Local Government,” he said.
“I don’t think that was appropriate. I just think it’s disrespectful.”
Cr Bellingham, who is retiring at the end of this term, said the Queensland Government consistently brushed aside Local Government for its own benefit.
“The State Government does not respect Local Government to the extent that it should.
“We’re only a child of State Government, we know that, but the pressure on Local Government has substantially increased. It’s becoming quite intolerable,” the Mayor said.
He said all levels of government should be on fixed terms, therefore, taking out any politics in relation to setting election dates.
State Member for Southern Downs Lawrence Springborg said although it was “very unusual” for the date of Local Government elections to change, this would not make any difference to his own campaign.
“I’m just going to do what I do – attending to my constituents’ issues,” Mr Springborg said.
Katter’s Australian Party candidate for Southern Downs Ade Larsen said the change did not make much difference to him either, but conceded it would give him more time to campaign.
“I will continue to be out there and work around the electorate a number of times,” Mr Larsen said.
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Story: Rebecca Brown
