LETTER TO THE EDITOR

I SENT a letter to CEO of Gympie Regional Council Bernard Smith and Mayor Mick Curran asking if I, the future mayor of Gympie region, could see the letter of comfort so I could see what I would be shackled with after the election.

The response from Mr Smith is we are not allowed to see it (but like blind, dumb lambs we have to pay the millions to keep it running.)

I asked Mr Smith to clarify a statement from Cr Dan Stewart and a statement from Scott Kovacevic, The Gympie Times reporter.

See statements below:

Councillor Dan Stewart on his Facebook page says "Letter of Comfort for Rattler Rail Company (RRC): This proposal did not involve any additional money for the RRC. Nor does it commit a future council to additional funding and a future council can reverse the decision or decide not to extend the Letter of Comfort. A Letter of Comfort from this council meeting to the RRC does not lock future councils into anything and was agreed to by council.”

Scott Kovacevic, The Gympie Times, wrote that the letter of comfort would "ensured that council would "unconditionally and irrevocably provide the company with adequate financial support ... as to ensure the company's continuity”.

I'm sure everyone would agree that the words reverse a decision and irrevocable have different meanings.

Mr Smith response to me was that they mean the same thing, that both these statements are true.

I asked Mr Smith for a clarification on his interpretation and posted my letter online.

Mr Smith was quick to retract his statement that both Cr Stewart and Mr Kovacevic statements were both correct.

Obviously, Cr Stewart had a different interpretation of what they discussed and voted on with the letter of comfort.

Or was he trying to give his future voters a mixed message that a future council was free to reverse a decision from a council that is on the nose?

Tim Jerome,

Traveston

Mayoral candidate for 2020