The federal opposition leader and Queensland’s environment minister have echoed criticism of a southeastern Queensland mayor who admitted to getting behind the wheel and crashing her car after drinking. ” several glasses of wine “Thursday night.
Redland City Council Mayor Karen Williams said she felt “overwhelmed,” but had no plans to step down from the top position, which she had held for 10 years.
Yesterday, State Rep. Don Brown urged Ms. Williams to resign for the incident and her colleagues condemned her actions.
The Minister of Youth and Environment and the Great Barrier Reef, Meaghan Scanlon, echoed those comments today.
“It’s good that he has at least acknowledged that he shouldn’t have driven under the influence,” he said.
“But it’s pretty unsustainable for a mayor to stay in that position, especially considering some of the horrible things that have happened to families in his own community that he said he would advocate for.”
Ms Williams recently joined the families of Matthew Field and Kate Leadbetter to call for tougher juvenile justice laws, after they were hit and killed in 2021 by a stolen car driven by a teenager under the influence of drugs and ‘alcohol.
She was the main petitioner for an online petition to appeal the 18-year-old driver’s sentence, which has more than 50,000 signatures.
Ms. Williams met with family members of the victims via zoom a few hours before the crash.
Ms Williams said Saturday she had spoken to families since the incident.
“I have spoken to these families and will continue to offer any support they need,” he said.
Ms. Scanlon said she did not believe Ms. Williams could continue as mayor.
“When you look at the fact that Karen Williams was talking on the phone with families who had lost a loved one to driving drinks and, an hour later, got in the car under the influence, that’s pretty untenable,” she said.
“I fully understand why some of the families of these victims are calling for the resignation of that mayor.”
Deputy Meaghan Scanlon has called for the resignation of Karen Williams as mayor. (AAP: Dave Hunt)
Federal opposition leader Peter Dutton expressed a similar sentiment.
“I think the message here is that people have to take responsibility for their own actions, and driving under the influence of alcohol is completely unacceptable,” he said.
“People make mistakes from time to time, but especially for community leaders, we need to set a very strong example and in terms of actions, responsibilities and consequences.
“My message, especially as a former police officer, is not to take that extra drink. Don’t drink and drive. I mean, there’s no excuse for that, and the consequences can be deadly.”
The councilors intervene
Councilor Adelia Berridge posted on social media to demand that Mrs Williams resign her post.
“I think the mayor should resign,” he said.
“I have immense respect for our CEO and the team he leads. Today I called him to talk about my situation and to inform him that I am now publicly calling for the mayor’s resignation. He hoped not to have to do so, but the The CEO can not ask for his resignation.
“I have previously raised three complaints, including the CCC, about alcohol parties and I hope that will change that now.”
Councilman Peter Mitchell has said the mayor “will have to take responsibility for her mistake and any consequences”.
“As a counselor, I will seek all related police and legal information and discuss the implications with colleagues and [the] general manager of the board, ”he said.
On Saturday, Councilwoman Wendy Boglary told the ABC that the incident did not reflect the council’s culture.
“I don’t think there is a drink culture in the council, but there may be some individual councilors who have a drink culture,” he said.
“What has happened to Mayor Karen Williams was her own individual choice to drink and drive her car.”
In a statement, a spokesman for the Queensland Local Government Association said the outcome should be decided by police.
“As community leaders, elected members are legitimately subject to a higher level by the people they represent,” they said.
“The matter is currently with the police and now the authorities must be allowed to do their job.”
Redland City Council will meet tomorrow.
“Pretty loose”
On the ground, Redlands residents are dismayed by the mayor’s actions.
Local Cassandra Scott described the incident as “creepy”.
“It’s about setting the example and she hasn’t done a great job at it,” she said.
“He has certainly taken a look at his role and the leadership he has presented in the area and seen whether or not these two positions are currently aligned.”
Cassandra Scott said Ms. Williams has not set an example. (ABC News)
Another local, Caradine Thompson, called Mrs. Williams’ decision to drive “quite loose.”
“I definitely think it’s worth losing the job for that. If it’s supposed to be a role model for everyone, I shouldn’t do things like that,” Ms. Thompson said.
Redlands councilors have also commented on the situation.
Posted 2 hours, 2 hours ago, Sunday, June 26, 2022 at 5:38 AM, updated 7 minutes ago, 7 minutes ago, dig. June 26, 2022 at 8:12 p.m.