‘Avoiding accountability’: Council takes aim at mayor on medical leave

A south-east Queensland council has submitted a controversial recommendation to a parliamentary inquiry, suggesting that any councillor on extended medical leave should face a misconduct investigation. The submission, made by Redland City Council, appears to target its own mayor, Jos Mitchell, who has been on leave since May and is not expected to return until at least the end of October. Deputy mayor Julie Talty has assumed the role of acting mayor during Mitchell's absence. Redland City Council has long been a focal point of contention within the state. In the 2024-25 financial year, it accounted for 114 of the 1,008 complaints received by the Office of the Independent Assessor (OIA). These figures place Redlands at the forefront of conduct-related grievances among Queensland councils. Mitchell herself became the subject of approximately 50 complaints in the 18 months following her election as mayor, allegations she claims were orchestrated as a political tactic against her. The evolution of the OIA has been marked by significant reforms. Initially introduced under the previous Labor state government in 2023 to streamline its operations, the office underwent further modifications under the current Liberal National Party (LNP) administration earlier this year. These changes aimed to narrow the scope of the OIA, prompting the announcement of a parliamentary inquiry into the councillor conduct framework in June. This inquiry, managed by the Local Government, Small Business and Customer Service Committee, seeks to evaluate the efficacy of the existing system, centered on the OIA and the Councillor Conduct Tribunal, and explore potential amendments to the Local Government Act. In its submission to the inquiry, Redland City Council proposed several measures. It argued that the definition of "misconduct," currently confined to disciplinary matters, should be expanded to encompass more severe breaches of councillor conduct and address non-performance, not merely inappropriate behavior. The council highlighted how a councillor could evade accountability by simply being absent, advocating for a misconduct investigation for any councillor on extended leave. Mitchell's absence has sparked considerable discussion both online and offline. Other councillors and former local federal MP and mayoral candidate Andrew Laming have frequently commented on the situation. Despite the controversy, Mitchell has remained largely quiet, though she took to Facebook this month to assert that there was "a fair bit of fake news" surrounding her absence. She disclosed that she had been managing multiple health issues, one necessitating major surgery and subsequent recovery, over the past 12 weeks. Mitchell emphasized that she had submitted medical certificates and was concentrating on her recovery, expressing anticipation for her return. Her Facebook post came after a now-deleted message from her family members criticizing local government department head Bronwyn Blagoev for remarks perceived as politically motivated following the resignation of a department-appointed governance adviser at the council. Blagoev had remarked that Mitchell's prolonged absence resulted in missed opportunities to tackle crucial governance challenges and cultivate stronger leadership. The Redlands submission also advocated for the establishment of a well-funded external entity to examine councillor conduct beyond the purview of the OIA. Additional proposals included harsher penalties, such as salary reductions, for councillors found guilty of misconduct, along with enhanced safeguards for council staff who report unethical behavior. Lastly, the submission suggested mechanisms allowing councils to recoup or mitigate substantial expenses incurred while addressing complaints deemed baseless or indicative of misuse of the complaint process. The parliamentary inquiry is set to host four public hearings in the coming month, with the final report slated for delivery to state parliament in November.