25 June

WHO needs to put their holiday snaps on Facebook?  I can get mine published in the Courier Mail.

But seriously, the articles by Des Houghton this week have taught us all a couple of lessons.

One, don’t send cheeky, jokey emails to colleagues who either have no sense of humour or see you as a potential rival.

Two, the 2012 Mayoral election campaign has started in earnest.

As a clearly identified threat to Allan Sutherland, I will come under a lot of scrutiny over the next few months.

So if I’ve made any mistakes, you’ll probably hear about it through some select media outlets.

And here are some areas where I could have done better.

Yes, my license was suspended.  That phone call will prove to be the most expensive one I’ve ever made.

Yes, I have missed some briefings and workshops, but I always get the information through briefing papers or discussions with officers and councillors.

My attendance at General Council meetings and Co-ordination Committee Meetings is comparable to other councillors.

These meetings are the only official decision making meetings of Council.  The briefings and workshops are discussion and information-sharing sessions.

My attendance at this year’s budget meetings is better than the Mayor.  At the six budget meetings between March 24 and May 5 he was hardly there, or absent half the time.

As a councillor, you set your own priorities.  My priority in my working week is the constituents of Division 2.

I am available to my residents each week at my local libraries, outside of holidays.  I’ve done that since the first week of being elected.

I am at the Beachmere Library on Wednesday mornings, Burpengary Library on Wednesday evenings, and Deception Bay Library on Thursday evenings.

No other councillor can match that record of direct availability to their constituents.

And my other priority is my family.  As my wife says, “life happens.”  This term, I have got married and had a honeymoon, and looked after my terminally-ill father who passed away.

Sian and I have had our first child, and I’ve spent many hours looking after both of them.

I make sure I spend each Easter school holiday with my extended family at Stradbroke.  It’s our family tradition.

I’ve travelled back from Straddie at times to attend meetings.  And I’ve kept working during my holidays.

Finally, thank you to all the people who have sent me a message of support.

16 June

HERE'S a surprise - Council has decided the water business is best kept where it is.

But what is the real story in this Council decision today?  Have a good look at the resolutions from the special meeting today, when you can.

Council decided today to keep the water subsidy scheme for rate payers and increase it in line with the CPI rise.

And that is marvellous news.

It is one of the best ways to keep down water price rises for rate payers.

Council’s new position is exactly the same position I was pushing months ago.

In March I moved that we not reduce the subsidy as originally planned, but to keep it and actually increase it.

Today’s decision is a vindication of the stance I have taken.

Still, Council had little choice but to make this decision.

In April the State Government imposed a cap on water and sewerage price increases. 

The cap means we have to keep our water subsidy scheme in some form – to get rid it would increase the cost of water beyond the cap imposed by the State Government.

The decision to keep the water business arrangements should be no surprise - but the decision to keep the water subsidy scheme is something that should be celebrated.