Swanborough's Launch - "Blowing Away The Bunny of Boonah"

Cr Derek Swanborough says he wants to be Mayor of the Scenic Rim Regional Council to bring sense back into our local government.

	Cr Paul Tully - the most popular polititian in Australia - with Derek Swanborough at the Mayoral campaign launch

Promising to control spending, rein in rates and increase openness, his words were applauded by guests invited from across the shire and by councillors from the Gold Coast, Logan and Ipswich.

The launch event was held on Friday 17th June at the function centre at John and Brenda Penglis's Cedar Creek Estate Winery in North Tamborine. 

Cr Eddie Sarroff, head of the Finance Committee of the Gold Coast City Council attended and was one of the guest speakers. 

Cr Paul Tully, lawyer and long term councillor from Ipswich City Council deputised for Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale who was called away at the last minute because of an unscheduled meeting with the Dali Lama. 

Later in his speech, Paul Tully said: "As we were coming up tonight here was almost a gale coming over the Mountain but I realised pretty quickly it was the winds of change coming through the Scenic Rim, going through Beaudesert, blowing away the "Bunny of Boonah", and installing Derek Swanborough as the Mayor of the Scenic Rim."

Tully was one of 5 speakers who included Derek's wife Sue, who gave her thoughts on the campaign in a cleverly worded ode to Derek.  The fabulous musical entertainment was by the Tamborine Mountain blues big band -  Shadez of Blue - lead by Greg and Tracey Sweetman who have mentored the talented young musicians.

Entertainment was by the talented local big band - Shadez of Blue

Also attending the launch event were Cr Hajnal Black and Cr Sean Black from the Logan City Council, Bevan Pressler from Boonah, President of the Scenic Rim Ratepayers Association Ken Vandermolen and Derek and Sue Swanborough's four children. 

The affair was well attended with over 200 guests and all were positve about Cr Swanborough's chances in next year's Mayoral election.  "I'm from the conservative side of politics," said Derek Merrin who attended the function with his wife and son.  "I'm from John Brent's side of things but I believe Derek is a good man for this job."

	The Merrin family at the launch event - "I'm from the conservative side of politics" said Derek Merrin.

Cr Swanborough outlined his policy platform by saying, "I want to return our Council to its rightful owners.  The people of the Scenic Rim. I want to give the ratepayers a voice.  I want to see a Council that consults and sincerely listens."

"I never want to see another episode like the $6.6 million Beaudesert Library project, where adhoc decisions are made and then sought to be justified after the event by consultation, and then, this is simply ignored anyway." 

"It is time to end the secrecy and behind the door decision making.  And cover-up that have become the hallmark of the current council." 

"There has been a significant groundswell of public encouragement for me to stand as Mayor.  Encouragement from right across the Scenic Rim, not just here on Tamborine Mountain."

Swanborough went on to say that councillors in the Scenic Rim were unimportant, simply "rubber stamps" for an unelected bureaucracy, something the current Mayor and Councillors had allowed to happen.

	Cr Hajnal Black with Irene Ban and Cr Eddie Sarroff

"Above all, if Scenic Rim is to go forward, if we are going to get back on track, if we are to right the wrong that we have, we have to change the culture of the organisation."

"It's one thing to say we'll do this.  And say we'll do that.   But unless we have culture - and remember that culture comes from the top - unless you have culture that filters down from management to all levels we will not get the changes that the people of the Scenic Rim are looking for.  I offer you cultural change.  Change for the better."

Swanborough said that his plan to change this would consist of eight policy pillars.  These were:

• Open meetings, full transparency and financial accountability
• Support for rate capping at CPI levels
• Divisional Councillor Empowerment to represent constituents
• Environmental and Land Use responsibility and compliance enforcement
• Genuine consultation - Role of Media
• Cost cutting, organisational efficiency and customer service focus
• Services for the community are first priority
• Performance Management

	Margaret and John Heydon with Peter Quaffe and Neville Crocombe

Cr Swanborough said the Council Administration used the employment agreement - which was hastily pushed though council in the first few days after the last election - as an excuse for inaction.   "For the administration, this was a mandate "to do nothing about our costs for three years.  Instead we'll just ask for higher rates."

"If you are in business today, you'll know there are businesses going broke.  There are businesses on this Mountain that are laying off staff.  If you are not a government employee or work for a council, then your job is on the line at the moment."

	Liz Koops from Kooralbyn with Rose Pressler from Boonah

 "Now more than ever, the Scenic Rim needs a Mayor who understands costs.  Who understands the information being given to the elected representatives, to be able to sift it for what is right and what's wrong."

"To be able to make judgements based on experience and qualifications."

Cr Eddie Sarroff, Chairman of the Finance Committee of Gold Coast City Council said, "I am here today because I personally believe that Derek Swanborough is an honest man, is a good man and he should be the next Mayor of the scenic Rim."

"Derek Swanborough has held good positions in the Morton Shire, the Albert Shire and the Beaudesert Shire.  But more important he understands the bureaucracy, how the bureaucrats work and how frustrating they can be."

"We know that the community's views and aspirations are not 100% delivered by the administration."

"They are delivered by the elected representatives who challenge their administrations from time to time."

"And I have seen Derek do that.  One of the things I admire about Derek is the fact that he is not easily intimidated.  And he never gives up when he is fighting for a cause he believes in."

	Melanie Swanborough with Jenifer Whilton

"What is important is that he has the courage to cut through the bull.  That he challenges the administration when it is needed.  Time and time again he has shown his courage by taking on the hard fights."

"The Gold Coast city is your neighbour.  What is important is that you have dialog between the Gold Coast City and the Scenic Rim.  It's important that you have a Mayor who knows how to have a dialog with it its neighbours.  Because I can tell you, I haven't seen too much dialog going on between the Scenic Rim and the Gold Coast and we should have that.

Paul Tully was next to speak.  Tully is Queensland's longest-serving City Councillor with 31 years' service to the Ipswich community. 

Tully was first elected on 31 March 1979 as the youngest Alderman of the Ipswich City Council.  He re-elected in 2008 with 87% of the primary vote - the highest vote of any serving politician in all states and territories of Australia.

Paul Tully opened by saying: "What Derek has said tonight is some serious stuff.  I have never been at campaign launch that has articulated so many points of importance to Local Government."

"Take the issue of the democratic rights of a councillor to talk to staff about their duties."

"In Ipswich and in most councils, the CEO authorises councillors to talk down to level four staff so you can talk to people in a sensible and professional way."

Swanborough had pointed out in his launch speech that the current Council CEO had banned councillors from speaking with staff, even though any ordinary ratepayer had the right to speak to them. 

It was a punishable breach of this Council's rules for an elected representative to talk to a council officer about an issue a ratepayer might have. 

"The things Derek is talking about are not some fanciful thing he is proposing," said Tully, "Something new in local government in Queensland.  Just about everything he has talked about is happening in every other council nowadays."

Paul Tully also said that in Ipswich - unlike the Scenic Rim - councillors are allocated a substantial discretionary budget for spending on projects within their division.

"There are guidelines of course," said Tully, "But that is where you have got true representation of the people.  The local Councillor is responsible for allocating the money in their division - there is no buck passing.  You don't have the privilege of blaming all the others or the people in Beaudesert if something goes wrong."

In response to Cr Swanborough saying he wanted to present his own policies and not tear down the policies of others, Paul Tully said, "That is honourable of you Derek."

	Pam and Phil Giffard who have been long associated with local government on Tamborine Mountain

"I have always taken the view that I fight under the Marques of Queensbury's rules.  But if I have to fight under the dog and goanna rules - which I have to do now and then - then I will.  So you should always keep that in mind if people are kicking you where they shouldn't."

"The other issue that concerns me is this code of conduct, said Cr Tully.  "This so called Standard Code Conduct around Queensland."

"That Code of Conduct is anti-democratic.  It prevents councillors from representing their communities.  It is the complete antithesis of what the people of Australia should have in their elected representatives."

"There is no reason you should have a Code of Conduct that requires you to support Council decisions.  Why should a councillor support a council decision if it is not what you agree to."

"It's like saying that Tony Abbott, every time Julia Gillard makes a decision in parliament, that he has to say that he supports it.  It is just plain stupid.  Absolutely stupid.  It is wrong.  It is anti-democratic.  It is against all the fundamentals of democracy that we have in Australia."

Tully went on, "And I think that councils and councillors that support codes of conduct like that should be booted out.  And that the government should be looking at councils who do.  It is just absolutely wrong."

"When that was presented to the Ipswich City Council, because it has been circulated state-wide, it took us about 15 seconds to decide that we would not be doing that.  We don't have many fights in Ipswich, but everyone respects our right to say what we want on behalf of our community.  I will do that any time.  I will do that every time."

"What you have in Derek is a potential Mayor who is honest, who is caring and who will listen to people."

"I looked at the word Derek and I thought of five words.  D for decent.  E for emphatic.  R for resilient.  E for energetic and K, keen as mustard to be the next Mayor of the Scenic Rim."