Rocky council motion to muzzle Ludwig
DISHARMONY in the council chamber will be brought into sharp focus today when one senior councillor asks his colleagues to resolve that the comments and behaviour of another are unacceptable.
Cr Stephen Schwarten says Cr Bill Ludwig's sniping and campaigning for Rockhampton Regional Council to be de-merged are undermining the integrity of councillors and harming the morale of council staff.
“When he was sworn in, Cr Ludwig took an oath to act in the interests of the entire region. I now believe he is acting against that oath,” Cr Schwarten said.
He will propose a motion this morning that Cr Ludwig be requested to “structure his public comments on council affairs to accurately reflect council business and the needs of the entire community”. But Cr Ludwig says he believes Cr Schwarten is acting out of a “misguided party loyalty”.
“As a member of the Labor Party, Stephen appears to be making a political statement that is quite frankly nonsense.
“Labor's amalgamation program patently hasn't worked and in campaigning for a better system I am acting in the interests of the entire region.
“We have been burdened with an over-bureaucratic regional council that is unable to deliver the promised savings and presided over worsening services and massively increased debt,” he said yesterday.
But Cr Schwarten argues Cr Ludwig's comments are creating a negative public perception of the council.
