June 4 2010: Gold Coast Bulletin readers left in the dark over lobbying disclosure

June 4 2010
Gold Coast Bulletin readers left in the dark over lobbying disclosure

by Andrew Crook

Crikey has reviewed all of Staerk’s 120 columns for the Bulletin. We found that existing and future clients (as listed on the Queensland Parliament lobbyists register), or Staerk’s direct associates, had been explicitly mentioned without disclosure on 12 separate occasions. As well, we counted 37 specific calls for the Gold Coast council to wind back charges or subsidise developers, who now feature prominently in Staerk’s paid client base.

Staerk, a fixture in the city’s business scene, is arguably just doing his job. But the Bulletin’s readers, without a context to place his columns, have been left in the dark.

Staerk began as a media officer on then-ALP state secretary Peter Beattie’s staff in 1983 and masterminded former-Brisbane Lord Mayor Jim Soorley’s 1991 election victory, before joining him as a private secretary. Later, he struck out with own firm, Winning Directions, which collapsed in 2005 owing creditors $1 million and leaving him bankrupt.

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Since then, there is a catalogue of examples of how Staerk the columnist serves the interests of Staerk the lobbyist.

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September 26, 2009: on a planned development “roadshow” to the southern states led by Labor-aligned councillor Eddy Sarroff: “What is the point in trying to attract new development investment at a time when our own council’s infrastructure charges are off the Richter scale and are discouraging development here?”