SNEAKY politics had a win at Logan City Council's ordinary meeting last week.
But more importantly, ratepayers got their first true glimpse since the new council was sworn in of how politics is played in Logan City, and the picture painted was not pretty.
Deputy Mayor Russell Lutton's successful attempt to bypass debate and alter the recommendations attached to a confidential planning and development committee item should alarm Logan City ratepayers. Obviously unwilling to accept the recommendations put forward, Cr Lutton rallied enough votes to have a previous set of recommendations reinstated and the new recommendations dumped.
Some may say ‘that is democracy' as Cr Lutton had the numbers on the day, but it was the way the Deputy Mayor went about having the recommendations altered which is cause for concern.  His latest move ensures relations between two factions which have appeared within Logan City Council will remain frosty. It also raises questions as to why Cr Lutton felt no additional debate was required on what most councillors have described as an item likely to have a "significant" impact on the city's growth.
Crs 'gagged'  By Henry Tuttiett  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
THE veil of unity at Logan City Council has been shed as infighting between councillors boiled over during debate on a confidential planning and development report last week.

Although the report remains confidential, Jimboomba Times understands it concerns a submission to the State Government including information on the future development of North MacLean .

The report was titled 'Growth Management Core Matters' and was confidential under section 463 (l)(h) of the Local Government Act 1993 which states, "other business for which a public discussion would be likely to prejudice the interests of the local government or someone else, or enable a person to gain a financial advantage".

Division 11 Councillor Hajnal Ban accused Deputy Mayor Russell Lutton of intentionally gagging the debate after he moved a procedural motion on the confidential planning report.

The details could not be debated in open council due to the confidential nature of the report and the motion was adopted.

The motion made redundant a set of recommendations previously agreed upon by councillors, instead reverting to the original recommendations.

The move created immediate unrest among councillor ranks with Crs Ban, Darren Power and Aidan McLindon recording their dissent against the motion and Sean Black recording his against the entire planning and development report.

Cr Ban said she was disgusted at how the issue was handled.

"I am not going to speak about anything in the report because obviously it's confidential," Cr Ban said
."But I think the way this was handled was deplorable. It makes a mockery of the local government process and democracy.

 "Cr Ban said Cr Lutton intentionally moved the motion to block debate on the item, which she called "significant".

"I am disgusted the Deputy Mayor would move a motion which effectively gagged debate," she said.

"It didn't even allow the opportunity to move into closed session to debate. He was well within his right to do so but I don't think that item, as significant as it is should have been handled that way." .

Despite the report's confidential status, Cr Black hinted it had major implications for North MacLean.

"The biggest fear I have is I don't support the North MacLean precinct, where it's at," Cr Black said.

"It's not worth destroying the lives of the people living there. The revolting way the whole issue has been handled by council, long term, will be viewed by the public in a very poor light.

"The way it's been handled will enrage the community. It enraged me."

Cr McLindon said Cr Lutton's motion was politically motivated and unethical.

"At the executive (meeting prior to the ordinary meeting) we had all the amendments in front of us and everyone was happy. It's legal what they did but I don't think it was ethical."

Despite the motion, Cr McLindon said he did not think the report should have been confidential in the first place.

"It's secret politics and I don't like it at all," he said.

Planning and development committee chair Cr Cherie Dalley declined to comment while Cr Lutton did not return phone calls from Jimboomba Times.
• Editorial, page 32