Mayor 'Moscow' Brunker under investigation by CMC

Update 8.25am Monday 24 August 2009
ABC News - Murray Cornish

Mayor expects to be cleared over CMC probe
The Whitsunday Mayor Mike Brunker says the Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC) is being abused for political gain.
Full story at ABC News


Original Story
Sourced from News Ltd - Daryl Passmore : Full story.

Our local Mayor is being investigated by the CMC after complaints were made to the Police, and the QLD Minister for Local Government.

The investigation by the Crime and Misconduct Commission follows complaints made against Cr Mike Brunker by several people about:
Travel Expenses and Allowances,
Staff Appointments,
Links to Developers.

CMC Officers have requested Whitsunday Regional Council to hand over files as part of the inquiry.

Desley Boyle, State Minister for Local Government, confirmed to the Sunday Mail that the Department of Infrastructure and Planning had referred the matter to the CMC, and declined to comment any further.

A spokesman for the Australian Federal Police confirmed that they too had also received a complaint, but have decided that the matter is outside of their jurisdiction.

Documents obtained by The Sunday Mail show that Cr Brunker lobbied the State Government on behalf of a developer, Tony Price, who is a long-time friend and supporter of Cr Brunker. Mr Price is a director of Lagoon Gardens, which is developing a large subdivision at Proserpine.

Cr Brunker has declared an interest and left all council meetings where issues related to the firm have been discussed. But he lobbied to have some of the company's land rezoned in the regional planning scheme. Zoning on both properties was not changed by the Government.

Cr Brunker told the Sunday Mail that the complaints came from "serial pests" and "rumour-mongers". "I'm certainly welcoming the CMC to come in and clear it up once and for all," Cr Brunker said.

Whitsundays Online
Sourced from News LTD - Daryl Passmore : Full story.

Editors Note : Cr Brunker is very closely associated with 'Enterprise Whitsundays', and Tourism Whitsundays - one of Tourism Whitsundays Managers is still yet to stand trial for an alleged $200,000 + Fraud committed last year.