Councillor Lisa Bradly has been an elected official in Logan City Council for 15 years and yesterday announced that she will not be contesting the 2024 election.
On a Facebook announcement, Cr Bradly said; “A lawyer suggested I make my announcement public on my terms. So here goes, with twelve months to go, now is the time. I confirm I will not recontest in the March 2024 local government election for Division 1 Councillor.”
” I never have believed in voting blocks, nor that party politics should be in Council. With time this belief has intensified and solidified, expressing and living by it automatically has made me a target for retaliation.
“This ending has been coming for a while, and there’s many times I have questioned why I sacrificed myself and family by recontesting in 2020 when I experience same but different.
“This hasn’t been an easy decision, and those close to me know, I had every intention of making this announcement when my book and journal were launched the end of January. However a conversation with Council’s city solicitor, and impeding legal matters, I was convinced otherwise, thus sacrificing myself (I confess a repeated pattern of mine).”
While there is still a year to go of her last term, Cr Bradley will be using some of this time to take long service leave where she will not be contactable.
Read Cr Bradley’s full statement below:
My statement is in the public interest. I am announcing the end of a chapter. No longer am I in alignment with where I was in 2006 on the start of a journey with a by-election, very naive to politics.
🕰 A lawyer suggested I make my announcement public on my terms. So here goes, with twelve months to go, now is the time. I confirm I will not recontest in the March 2024 local government election for Division 1 Councillor.
🗣 Over the time as Councillor, I have repeatedly stated my intention was to serve three terms, I never have believed in voting blocks, nor that party politics should be in Council. With time this belief has intensified and solidified, expressing and living by it automatically has made me a target for retaliation. I have never towed the line to benefit a few at the detriment of others, rather I have voted on my conscience.
✔️ With last term interrupted, it was no surprise to many that I recontested in the 2020 election. For me, there was unfinished business. Knowing it takes a long time for any new Councillor to understand how to get the unthinkable done, I felt I had to step up. As this term has progressed, more items have been ticked off, significantly the intersection of Rochedale Road and Priestdale Road. The whole time I have been a Councillor I pushed around every road block to make this a reality! Something I repeatedly was told would never happen.
❓️However this ending has been coming for awhile, and there’s many times I have questioned why I sacrificed myself and family by recontesting in 2020 when I experience same but different. My intention is to see out the term to ensure the community are consulted on the next stage of Springwood Park redevelopment, Fitzgerald Avenue landscaping and Underwood Road bus turnaround progress, and a number of other major projects move forward for delivery some time in the future.
🤔 My daughter giving birth to her own daughter, has reminded me she was eight years old when I started contesting for Council. That’s most of her life she’s experienced sacrifice as I have served.
🚫 Intuitively I must have known straight after the last local government election as I asked the ECQ if I needed to comply with their requirements (specifically a dedicated bank account) if I had no intention of recontesting in 2024. Anyone who checks my register of interest would note I have not had a dedicated bank account the whole of this term, as a result of ECQs written confirmation. And my election signs were dispersed years ago.
🚀 This hasn’t been an easy decision, and those close to me know, I had every intention of making this announcement when my book and journal were launched the end of January. However a conversation with Council’s city solicitor, and impeding legal matters, I was convinced otherwise, thus sacrificing myself (I confess a repeated pattern of mine). Coincidentally these products would not have eventuated had I not been a Councillor, and specifically what I endured last term. After threats, some very public, and a safe environment denied, I went on my own healing journey undertaking coaching courses. I now attract coaching clients like me, and recently I have been nominated for an award for doing so.
⚕️ In late 2017, at a Local Government Women’s conference in Melbourne. I heard a presenter talk about Positive Psychology and Coaching. Whilst I had studied a lot of psychology in my nursing degree at University, at a postgraduate level during a Psychiatric Nursing course, and applied many of the theories when raising my children, the inspirational presentation must have struck a chord with me. At that moment, there was so much negativity in my work environment, and for legal reasons, I could not speak publicly about it. With recent court events and airing of ABC 7.30 Report re Whistleblowers this is now a bit more public.
🧘♂️ In my role as Councillor, I’ve learned to be resilient, embody emotional intelligence to reflect and model a better way of being. My coaching background has intensified this, given me greater insight into people’s behaviours, and true motives in my role as Councillor.
⚡️So as this chapter is now closing, I will continue to grow and evolve, redefine myself.
🙏 I wish to express my gratitude to those I have met, supported me, had my signs in their property, or welcomed me in their homes. Whilst I look forward to this new chapter, there’s a twinge of sorrow to disappoint those who have repeatedly expressed they wanted me to continue advocating for them.
📢 As stated earlier today, after fifteen years since the first election win as Councillor for Division 1, I will shortly take long service leave and switch off my social media. In the meantime contact my office via 💻 [email protected] or ☎️ 3412 5501.
Councillor Lisa Bradley