The issues Brisbane City Council could not debate have included a legal settlement in its October 29 meeting, the lease of the Mount Coot-tha cafe and restaurant in a November 5 meeting, and a contract between the council and Telstra in a November 12 meeting. Problems with that contract were returned to the council in the first meeting for 2020 on February 4, and it was again referred back to Mr Jensen as 25 councillors declared conflicts. Labor councillors Steve Griffiths (Moorooka), Kara Cook (Morningside) and Jared Cassidy (Deagon). Credit:Tammy Law/Fairfax Media The slow process of every councillor standing and detailing each donation was described as "tediously repetitious" by Labor councillor Steve Griffiths in the October meeting. "I know it's the law, I understand that ... I'm just saying it's tediously repetitious," Cr Griffiths complained.

Cr Schrinner responded by saying while it could be tedious, the administration was "absolutely ensuring that we follow the letter of the law". "... Whether we like or not, we cannot debate in this chamber about an issue where the majority of councillors are conflicted," he said. Loading The Gabba ward's Cr Sri and Tennyson's Cr Johnston expressed frustration in council meetings, arguing critical public debate and decision-making on council business was blocked because political parties accepted donations. During the October debate, Cr Sri said the situation exposed "one of the great flaws in our democracy" but it was right the decision be referred back to Mr Jensen.

"... But the fact that we have to do that shows that there is a serious problem in this city, where big decisions that perhaps should be made by elected representatives are not being made by those elected and democratically accountable representatives, because so many of them are compromised," he said. Local Government Association of Queensland chief executive Greg Hallam said conflicts of interest were not just triggered by political donations. "This is an issue from Cairns to Brisbane," he said. "The LGAQ accepts the requirement for transparency but believes the minister should use his discretionary powers to allow the elected member body to make the decision in cases where the majority of councillors are affected and a quorum cannot be reached. "That way councillors remain able to do the job their communities elected them to do while still ensuring any conflicts are publicly declared."

Cr Schrinner also criticised the laws in November when all LNP and Labor councillors recused themselves on discussion of the lease for Mt Coot-tha's cafe and restaurant. The LNP declared a conflict over a $1800 donation made by the recommended tenderer for that lease, Jimmy's on the Mall Pty Ltd. The Gabba ward councillor Jonathan Sri (Greens) said major political parties should not be accepting donations. Credit:Tammy Law "I can tell you, based on my experience in council now being a councillor for 14 years, a donation to a party of $1800 is not going to affect my decision-making in any way," he told the chamber. "There’s 20 of us on this side of the chamber. That works out to about $90 each if you put it into each different campaign account, theoretically. That is not going to affect decision-making."

Another issue on November 26 regarding appointments for council boards again saw LNP and Labor councillors declare conflicts. Cr Johnston in that meeting said it was disappointing the issue could not be debated because of political donations. The business of this council cannot shut down every time the big parties have taken money from major business donors in this city Cr Nicole Johnston "Taking these big donations is obviously not good for the running of our city, because it conflicts with your position as an elected representative," she said. "We are, as elected representatives, obligated to make decisions on behalf of the residents of Brisbane who voted for us."