- Senator Roberts.
- Thank you, Mr. Acting Deputy President.
As a servant to the people of Queensland and Australia,
I wish to further discuss the corruption that continues
in Queensland local government.
This corruption is ripping off hundreds of millions
of dollars of Commonwealth and state taxpayers money.
These monies are being redirected,
not spent on their intended purposes
or not spent at all or corruptly provided
to persons in exchange for overvalued materials
and services.
Emergency Management Australia, EMA,
administered the national disaster relief
and recovery arrangements, The NDRRA,
and the disaster recovery funding arrangements, DRFA,
funding on behalf of the Australian government.
75% of the funds are from the Australian government
and the remainder reimbursed
from the Queensland state government.
The Queensland reconstruction authority, QRA,
and emergency management Queensland, AMQ,
coordinate disaster funding in Queensland.
Queensland councils received $5.4 billion
in NDRRA funds from 2011 to 2019.
This may be a billion-dollar scandal.
Recent Royal Commissions into aged care,
Institutional abuse
and banking practises only came about after much opposition.
Look at much evidence surfaced when people were able
to come forward to tell their stories.
This inquiry is urgently needed.
The councils and the local government association
of Queensland, facilitate a system where contractors
made huge profits on road building
by fraudulently claiming payments
and stripping 40 to 60%
out of NDRRA fund project funding as private profits.
And these practises are widespread across Queensland.
At the heart of this local government, corruption
has been the local government association of Queensland,
the LGAQ, a private company
that has a special relationship
with the Queensland government,
and is not obliged to go to tender,
when contracting with councils.
This lack of transparency breeds corruption.
What makes the LGAQ unique,
are the special statutory provisions
that make the LGAQ virtually unaccountable
for their actions.
Under rule 234 of the local government regulations, 2012,
a council is exempt from calling contracts
or to tender or calling quotes.
If the contract is entered into under an LGA arrangement,
can you imagine that,
this includes a contract made with the LGAQ.
Every contract the LGAQ enters,
involves a substantial fee being paid to the LGAQ.
I'll say that again.
Every contract the LGBQ enters involves
a substantial fee being paid to the LGAQ.
It is the classic cartel arrangement,
prohibited in any other state except Queensland
where it's legalised by rule 234.
Some of this information has been disclosed
in the Queensland state parliament
and directly to the triple C,
which inexplicably declined to investigate.
Many complaints to the triple C about a council
I simply sent back to the council to investigate itself.
Actual triple C investigation is rare.
A research paper prepared by professor Timothy
into the complaint sent
to the triple C found that less than 2%
of complaints were investigated
and the other 98% largely disappeared.
Why?
Since I alerted the Senate that I wished
to put a motion to support a select Senate inquiry
into this corruption, the LGAQ sent representatives
to the Canberra to try to stop the inquiry.
Somis, contacted local government minister Colton's office,
objecting to the inquiry.
What are they afraid of?
What do these mirrors all have to hide?
What do they think an inquiry will reveal?
Is this an admission of guilt?
A council with nothing to hide would welcome an opportunity
to show how well it uses public monies,
yet when the motion was put to the vote,
the government, labour and the Green voted against
this anti-corruption motion.
This was quite stunning when the government wishes
to introduce an integrity bill,
yet voted against an anti-integrity motion.
The Greens believed that lies, that complaints brought
to the triple C had already been investigated
and were found with our substance.
This is false.
As key witnesses were never contacted
leave alone questioned.
Key locations were never inspected or visited.
How could the Greens think this constituted
an investigation?
Crossbench senators, Jacqui Lambie
and Rex Patrick know that I'm right and supported my motion.
I thank the senators for their integrity.
The mechanics of the corrupt practises are known
and have been brought to the attention of the authorities.
I call on the Senate to do the right thing.
I will continue exposing this corruption
and continue to seek as Senate select inquiry
to protect taxpayers money, and to restore integrity.
Thank you Mr. Acting Deputy...