Talk:Cleaver Bunton

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[edit] Overlapping terms

He became a Senator in February 75, but apparently remained Mayor of Albury until August 76. Is this right? I thought the Australian constitution prevented a person from being an MHR or Senator if they held a publicly elected position in a local council or a state parliament. JackofOz 10:22, 21 April 2006 (UTC)

As the original author of this article, I should have my references at hand (and list them on the article). I sadly don't (and haven't), so bear with me & I'll see if I can find my main source (an obituary) and confirm that's what the case was. If his being Mayor contravened the constitution, well, it was 1975 after all. --Roisterer 13:46, 21 April 2006 (UTC)

Thanks, Roisterer. I'm aware of another case like this. Sir Bruce Small, while Mayor of the Gold Coast, was elected to the Qld State parliament. He refused to give up his mayoral job although everybody said it was at least improper, if not downright illegal, for him to hold it while also being a State MP. I don't remember whatever happened there, and the article sheds no light on it. I have a personal interest in both cases - my Dad was a civil engineer who happened to work for Cleaver Bunton at the Albury City Council throughout the 1950s, then later in his career worked for Bruce Small on the Gold CoastCity Council. JackofOz 14:17, 21 April 2006 (UTC)

I don't think the two cases are necessarily alike, as that was perfectly legal in Queensland politics until 1991, I believe (when Clive Berghofer, the then-Mayor of Toowoomba vacated his seat rather than resign as mayor). I'm not sure what the situation was federally. Ambi 14:33, 21 April 2006 (UTC)

I lived in Qld at the time and I remember there was a great deal of public disquiet and political comment about Small's refusal to relinquish the mayor's job. But you're almost certainly right that it wasn't technically illegal, which would explain why he was not prevented from holding down both elected positions simultaneously. JackofOz 15:15, 21 April 2006 (UTC)

Sorry for the delayed response. I couldn't find the exact references I used but did find an article on Factiva that is similar. In an article entitled "Goodbye Mr Albury", published in the Melbourne Herald Sun on 4 February 1999, the second line of the article states "He was an alderman of Albury for 46 years and mayor from 1945-72 and 1974-76", which certainly includes the time spent as Senator. There is no mention in the article about a supposed contravention of the constitution. --Roisterer 14:53, 2 May 2006 (UTC)

Thanks R. JackofOz 15:02, 3 May 2006 (UTC)