A former Logan councillor has described how fraud charges laid in the wake of an investigation by Queensland's corruption watchdog and later dropped had destroyed her life and led to a barrage of public abuse.
Trevina Schwarz was one of eight former Logan City councillors who in 2019 were charged with fraud and sacked following a Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) investigation.
The charges were dropped last year due to insufficient evidence.
Ms Schwarz said the ordeal took a major toll on her family, saying it copped relentless abuse from the public.
"My son was abused in Bunnings and asked to come outside so the fellow could fight him. It really was awful," Ms Schwarz told ABC Radio Brisbane.
"You'd walk in a home where you'd lived for 30 years and people would look at you and point as you were walking down the street.
"You couldn't escape from it. It was on the news, it was on the radio, it was in the papers.
"It absolutely destroyed my life. And the toll that it also takes on your family is huge."
Her comments came after leading Queensland corruption fighter Tony Fitzgerald yesterday handed down a report into how corruption is investigated in the state.
It included a string of recommendations.
Among them was the need for the CCC to consult with the state's Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) before laying charges to avoid "unwarranted impact" and to rebuild public confidence.
The report also found the Logan City Council probe damaged the public's perceptions of the CCC.
Calls for an apology
When Ms Schwarz received a call from the CCC notifying her that the charges had been dropped, she initially "thought it was a hoax".
She said the CCC had failed to comply with its own rules during its investigation of the Logan City Council.
"Although there should be great and high protection for whistleblowers, first and foremost, you need to ensure that those complaints are factually correct and not malicious."
While she is pleased with the recommendations in Mr Fitzgerald's report, Ms Schwarz is hoping for an apology from the state government after cabinet meets on Monday.
"Wrongfully charging us has destroyed our lives, our careers and the reputational harm is irreparable," she said.
"We're all disappointed that we have not received an apology, a meaningful apology. That should be forthcoming," Ms Schwarz said.
Former councillors considering legal action
Ms Schwarz also told ABC Radio Brisbane the eight sacked Logan City councillors were considering pursuing compensation from the state government.
"We've all been looking at it with the legal team but we're just not too sure how that's going to go at the moment," she said.
Ms Schwarz said she had been unable to find work since being sacked from the council, despite the charges against her being discontinued.
"You've got all of this this baggage that's sitting on you, that you've been charged with fraud. They're not going to employ you," she said.
"The reputational harm is irreparable and the stigma is going to stay."
Ms Schwarz said she would never consider running for council again after the ordeal.
The inquiry's report said it would not revisit or re-litigate the investigation of the Logan council.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk did not comment on whether the former councillors would be issued an apology.
"No-one would like to see what happened to those particular councillors happen again," Ms Palaszczuk said.
"That report is very clear about a path forward … so we would probably not see the likes of that happening again. That would be my expectation."
LGAQ calls for 'swift' implementation
The new report has sparked the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) to call for "post-prosecution reviews of other failed cases launched by the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) against mayors and councillors".
"The Logan matter is not the only failed prosecution launched by the CCC against elected members in recent history," LGAQ chief executive Alison Smith said.
"The Commission of Inquiry has recommended the CCC work with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to develop a process for conducting post‐prosecution reviews.
"We would urge this work to be undertaken as swiftly as possible.
"Further, we are calling for the CCC and the DPP to prioritise the review of other failed cases launched against elected members, so that any other instances of potential miscarriage of justice can be identified, rectified and processes put in place to ensure mistakes are never repeated.
"Livelihoods and reputations can be irreversibly impacted by the decisions important institutions like the CCC make.
"Queensland deserves a corruption watchdog [that] we can all have faith in, and making sure failed cases are reviewed and any lessons learned are key to this."
When asked about the Logan councillors, Queensland Agricultural and Rural Communities Minister Mark Furner said the cabinet ministers would need to review the report before decisions were made.
"It is important that I, myself, and every other cabinet minister has an appraisal of what the report means and will make a decision based around those outcomes," he said.
"I think there is an opportunity now, where the report will identify significant changes to the way the CCC operates.
"We need to work through those changes, what it needs.
"But what we do need is stable leadership in terms of the way the CCC operates into the future with the chair."
