Immediate past mayor of Federation Council Pat Bourke has apologised after being handed a nine-month conditional release order without a conviction for failing to declare political donations.
The current councillor appeared in Wagga Local Court last week for twice failing to declare the donations for the period of January 1, 2021 until June 30, 2021 and for the period July 1, 2021 until December 2021.
Magistrate Don McLennan noted the demands of a mayor, combined with the 60-year-old’s other responsibilities including helping his 87-year-old father on the family farm at Urana and his own family business but noted the failure to lodge the donations for 2021.
“I failed to fulfill my responsibilities in regards to these declarations and for that I apologise,” Cr Bourke told court. He added that as mayor, he was not in it for the money and that non declaration was not intentional.