IF YOU thought keeping our council was a good idea, read Acting Mayor Wayne Wendt's opinion piece in Ipswich First and weep.

The statement by Councillor Wendt could not be more inept.

Ipswich First is an online magazine paid for by ratepayers. It carries light news and trivia.

Cr Wendt is attempting to present the case as to why the current council should not be sacked.

The most damning aspect is his spurious assertion that most of the charges levelled at the mayors, CEOs, staff and contractors, relate to "paperwork" and charitable donations.

No-one has been charged with "paperwork", no one has been charged with donating to a charity.

The charges are: misconduct in public office, fraud, disclosure of a confidential document, receiving corrupt payments, fraudulent falsification of records, official corruption, perjury, attempting to pervert the course of justice, and extortion.

Thirteen people are currently charged with 66 offences.

The attempt to portray these charges as trivial beggars belief, especially considering the council's supposed commitment to accountability and transparency.

Cr Wendt then goes on to point out that "most of the events which led to allegations happened more than 12 months ago, some of them dating back seven or eight years".

That is true but it does not exonerate the current administration, rather it reinforces the fact that a culture of mismanagement dates back almost a decade.

The last part of Cr Wendt's opinion is related to democracy.

He exhorts us to value our right to have a say, suggesting that the State Government may take that right away.

He neglects to mention, firstly, that we elected the State Government and that it has duties which we expect it to uphold.

One of those duties includes sacking councils.

Secondly, that he himself is a former state parliamentarian. He could have used that position to oppose the state's ability to sack the councils then.

We need a fresh start.

Only by sacking the council and having an extended period of administration will we be able to start again with some hope for the future.

JIM MCKEE

Coalfalls