The mayor of Cairns has been told to apologise to her community after admitting to misconduct for a second time in three weeks.
Mayor Amy Eden was ordered to make the admission by Queensland’s Councillor Conduct Tribunal, which found she failed to declare a conflict of interest during a vote in 2023, when the council was selecting a list of preferred suppliers.
One of the businesses on the list was run by a friend and former business partner of Cr Eden’s.
Tempers flared at a Cairns Regional Council meeting on Wednesday after Cr Eden made the admission and said she accepted her judgement at the time was “not correct”.
Last month she admitted to two counts of misconduct for leaking confidential information to a journalist in 2023, when she was still a first-term councillor.
Mayor attempts to stop questions
Cr Eden tried to block councillors from asking questions about the misconduct during the meeting.
She also stopped a councillor from moving a motion of dissent when council chief executive Ken Gouldthorp intervened to correct meeting procedure.
Multiple councillors expressed concern that that mayor’s conduct was bringing the council’s reputation into disrepute. (ABC Far North: Holly Richardson)
Councillor Brett Moller moved a motion of unsuitable meeting conduct, which was eventually carried.
The mayor then attempted to adjourn “to seek advice”, but Mr Gouldthorp advised that she did not have the power to stop the meeting.
At one stage Cr Eden interrupted Mr Gouldthorp and said: “I feel like you are trying to make me look like a fool.”
Cr Eden said former Cairns councillors had been treated with more respect when they made admissions of misconduct in the chamber.
Deputy Mayor Brett Olds said Cr Eden’s refusal to take questions after her admission reflected poorly on the entire council.
“I think the people of Cairns deserve an apology from you,” he said.
“I think, as a leader, you should take responsibility for your actions, and I think everyone in this room deserves an apology from you.”
Cr Olds said the mayor’s conduct brought the council into disrepute.
“This erodes public trust in the council and makes us look like a rabble, and I can tell you we are not a rabble,” he said.
Cr Eden was unavailable for an interview after Wednesday’s council meeting, but said in a statement that she accepted the adjudicator’s decision and had learnt from the experience.
“I am not supportive of the unnecessary political pontificating by councillors,” she said.
Ms Eden said the experience would not keep her from working tirelessly and to the best of her ability for the residents of Cairns.
Amy Eden has now made three admissions of breaching the code of conduct. (ABC News: Curtis Rodda)
Cr Eden, who told the ABC earlier this week that her admission was “not an apology”, said she would comply with a requirement to complete training in response to the misconduct findings.
Councillors also voted unanimously for Cr Eden to repay a $15,000 excess for an insurance claim the council made for her to receive legal assistance.
That assistance was sought after proceedings were brought against Cr Eden for the two allegations of misconduct relating to leaking of confidential material, which she admitted to last month.
Councillors are entitled to access legal assistance when claims are brought against them. Costs are covered by councillor and officer liability insurance.
If the councillor is found guilty, council policy requires the councillor to repay the excess.
Cr Moller said Cr Eden had the right to defend herself and was entitled to legal advice.
“This is not us councillors taking an adversarial position in any shape or form,” he said.
“This is we councillors looking at the legislation and policies and acting in the best interests of our residents.”
