2020-01-13 General Committee Agenda

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                               13 JANUARY 2020


               Retain:
                 -    legal advice obtained by Council.
                 -    matters directly affecting the health and safety of an individual or group.
   Informal Meetings –
     o     A councillor who has a declarable COI in a matter to be addressed in an informal
           meeting or a workshop cannot attend the informal meeting or workshop for that
           agenda item unless the local government has previously approved their participation
           in that matter.
     o     A councillor who has a prescribed COI cannot attend an informal meeting or a
           workshop.
     o     Any new or additional information arising at or from the informal meeting or workshop
           to be made available as soon as possible after the briefing session or workshop to all
           councillors and the public.
     o     Councils to have a policy about informal meetings and are required to publicly notify
           when and where such meetings will be held and their outcomes.
4.   Inquiry into the feasibility of introducing expenditure caps for Queensland local
     government elections.
As previously identified, the review of the feasibility of introducing expenditure caps for
Queensland local government elections was based on recommendation 1 from the Crime and
Corruption Commission’s (CCC) Operation Belcarra Report which recommended that the review
should consider:
a)   expenditure caps for candidates, groups of candidates, third parties and associated entities
b)   the merit of having different expenditure caps for incumbent verses new candidates
c)   practices in other jurisdictions.
The Economic and Governance Committee’s Issues Paper December 2019 (the Paper),
identifies that equity in elections is a fundamental principle of Australia’s democratic system of
government and that all voters should have a fair opportunity to participate in elections including
a fair and equal chance of nomination and election as a candidate. The Paper also references
the growing concerns about the shortcomings of the regulatory system and the lack of restrictions
on electoral campaign funding and spending, as identified by the CCC in its Operation Belcarra
Report which highlighted the findings of various previous inquiries into local government. The
CCC concluded that regardless of the source of the financial inequity, prospective candidates
can be deterred from running for council in the first instance, and even if they do contest, may be
unable to properly compete with well-funded candidates thereby limiting the diversity and quality
of candidates who contest local government elections.
In addition, the Paper identifies the benefits/opposition to implementing caps on electoral
expenditure as well as model features and associated issues.
Benefits:
o    Caps can reduce or contain the costs of an election, avoiding excessive or wasteful
     expenditure and reducing the level of election finance required, meaning that more
     candidates (including less wealthy candidates) may compete in an election;
o    With an applied limit on spending, there is no real advantage in one candidate or party
     having access to greater financial resources (or at least any advantage may be reduced),
     improving financial equality between candidates;
o    In limiting the scope for excessive spending on broadcast and other advertising caps can
     prevent a few well-resourced voices from ‘crowding out’ others, and allow for a broader
     range of views to be presented and considered; and
o    In limiting permitted spending, caps can reduce the demand for campaign funds,
     minimising the scope for undue influence (and accompanying perceptions that donor
     interests may be prioritised over those of the voting public).

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