Brisbane City Council has deleted all traces of a job advertisement after the wording of it was questioned by the opposition and called “absolutely inappropriate” by lord mayor Graham Quirk.
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On Tuesday afternoon, opposition leader Peter Cumming questioned lord mayor Graham Quirk about the wording in a council job advertisement for a communications officer for the $650 million Kingsford Smith Drive project.
"The ad states that to be successful in the role the applicant must have, and I quote, ‘the ability to apply a level of political awareness in managing effective communication strategies’,” Cr Cumming said.
“The Brisbane City Council Code of Conduct states employees will, and I quote, ‘accept and value their duty to provide advice which is objective, independent, apolitical and impartial’.
“How does this politicisation of the council workforce align with the employees' responsibilities under the code of conduct?”
Within 15 minutes of the question being asked the job ad was removed from the internet, including from the council website and Seek.
Cr Cumming accused Cr Quirk of politicising the council workforce after advertising for an officer to produce “politically aware” spin for the Kingsford Smith Drive upgrade.
“Graham Quirk has arrogantly tossed the Code of Conduct in the bin,” Cr Cumming said.
“Now this politicisation has extended to the council workforce. Graham Quirk is out of control and it has to stop.
“Residents have a right to be given news from the council that is accurate and unbiased, not parroting the LNP line.”
Cr Quirk said, in response to Cr Cumming’s question, said he would be “absolutely aghast” in terms of any outcome which placed a person of that sort in any political situation,” he said.
“That would be absolutely inappropriate.”
Cr Quirk said he would take the question away as he was concerned about the wording.
“I am absolutely concerned by the wording, I find it inappropriate wording,” he said.
“I will certainly be delving down into this to find out why this has happened.
“Officers of this council are, and need to be, apolitical — that’s number one.
“I want to, regardless of what that ad might say, I want to give everybody here the assurance today that no officer, if it is an officer within the organisation of the Brisbane City Council, will be involved in politics in any way.
“It would be inappropriate for that person to be so.”
The job ad, which was removed on Tuesday afternoon, was scheduled to close at 11.55pm on Wednesday.
After Fairfax Media asked why the job ad had been removed, a spokesman for the lord mayor said Cr Quirk was extremely concerned to learn about the advertisement and requested it was reviewed immediately.
“The advertisement has been removed from council’s website. It will be amended and reposted,” he said.
