Carter is a bully: Livermore
UPDATE 2.40pm: CAPRICORNIA MP Kirsten Livermore last night fired an extraordinary broadside at Rockhampton Regional Council Mayor Brad Carter, accusing him of waging a campaign of whining and harassment.
Speaking in parliament, she attacked his record as the long-standing regional director for state development in Central Queensland and cast doubt on his character.
“I understand that Cr Carter has had problems in previous employment and has even had counseling for bullying and harassment,” she said.
“What he needs to understand is that, just like the feisty old ladies in Depot Hill, I will not be bullied or intimidated.”
Late last week Cr Carter said the government’s budget had ignored the Rockhampton region and accused it of failing to understand the region’s infrastructure needs.
Ms Livermore’s response yesterday was explosive.
“He was the bureaucrat with responsibility for developing our infrastructure needs. He has had 20 years to make things happen in Rockhampton, but instead spends his time as mayor looking for others to blame,” she said.
This afternoon Cr Carter challenged the MP to repeat her claims that he is a bully away from parliament where she has no protection from defamation.
He denies that he has ever had counselling for harassment or bullying and says he’s only been driven by a desire to identify solutions to the issues threatening development of the region.
“I’m disappointed that she has used parliamentary privilege to make incorrect and unsubstantiated allegations of a personal nature and would invite her to make the same comments without the protection of privilege in a public environment,” he said.
Cr Carter says that while it is true he was the regional director for state development, his role was to promote economic growth and he had no responsibility for infrastructure.
