FORMER MP Andrew Laming believes Karen Williams can continue as the city's Mayor without "paralysing" the council, saying political affiliations have already divided the chamber.
Mr Laming said he did not believe the Mayor should stand down from her role and claimed issues related to the crash would "inevitably" subside after her court appearance.
In an exclusive interview with the Redland City Bulletin, Mr Laming said it appeared Cr Williams wanted to complete her four-year term, meaning she would remain in the job until at least the 2024 election.
His comments come as several members within the LNP ranks speak out to condemn Cr Williams after the crash, including new federal opposition leader Peter Dutton and his state counterpart David Crisafulli.
The Mayor was charged with drink-driving on the weekend after allegedly returning a blood alcohol reading of 0.177, which is more than three times the legal limit.
Mr Laming said the Mayor would face greater pressure if she were a political party member, but it was ultimately up to her to make a call on her future.
"In the party system, the party is accountable for the actions of its members. Quite uniquely, in Queensland, these are apolitical councils," he said
"She is Karen Williams. She is not accountable to a party. I think if the Mayor were accountable to a party, the pressure would be much greater.
"The lesson last year with me was that you have to allow some due process in case the whole thing is not as it seems."
Mr Laming had several allegations levelled at him in 2021 but said they had all failed to materialise, showing the importance of allowing the legal process to play out.
"We do need to obtain both sides of the story, both versions of events and let the legal process do its work," he said.
"It is already a divided council, and there are a range of tactics that can be employed to keep this as the issue of the day.
"Council has a process, you either attend the meeting, or you don't, and you're either in order, or you're not.
"Technically, she can, I believe, keep doing her job if that's her decision. It doesn't paralyse the council. It's already a divided council."
The Mayor ran for preselection in Bowman last year and declared in her campaign video that she had "long-term affiliations" to the LNP.
Mr Laming, who worked with Cr Williams on a series of projects during his stint as MP, said it was to be expected that the Mayor's opponents would be against her continuing in the role.
"In the pantheon of issues that would cause a person to stand down, we need to separate out our abhorrence for drink driving with the question: do they resign because being elected as Mayor is a privilege?" he said.
"At the moment, it looks like she wants to complete the term. But, ultimately, she will have to make that call and I presume she will make that call after the court case."
The Redland City Bulletin has made several requests to the Mayor for comment, but she is yet to respond.
She released a second statement over the weekend, again apologising for her actions and acknowledging they had taken a toll on the community.
"I will undertake this personal leave to respond to the police charge and to receive counselling," she said.
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