Councillors told not to tarnish Brisbane City Council's reputation
Brisbane City Council’s chairman has committed to a reformed chairing of council meetings just one day after council’s chief executive encouraged councillors to monitor their behaviour and not tarnish the council’s reputation.
At Tuesday’s council meeting, LNP councillor and chairman Angela Owen spoke about the professional standard at the last council meeting of the past session.
Opposition Leader Peter Cumming had accused Cr Owen of allowing bullying and being biased after fiery debate broke out in the chamber at that meeting.
Council’s chief executive Colin Jensen addressed concerns about the standard of councillor behaviour, including claims of workplace bullying contributing to an unpleasant and problematic workplace, in a letter sent to lord mayor Graham Quirk and the 26 elected councillors on Monday.
In the letter, seen by Fairfax Media, Mr Jensen said he received communication across the political spectrum regarding the standard of behaviour in the council chamber during meetings.
“It is apparent from such correspondence that there is a level of concern that the standard of behaviour during council meetings, perhaps thought to amount to workplace bullying, may be contributing to an unpleasant or problematic workplace,” the letter said.
“The purpose of this letter, therefore, is to remind all councillors about the expected standard of behaviour.
“Increasingly, the behaviour of councillors is coming under public scrutiny and public expectation is that councillors will conduct their roles in full accord with legislation, local laws, policy and procedure and in a way that is respectful of others and promotes council’s good standing in the community.
“I encourage each of you to monitor your behaviour in the council chamber, ward offices and elsewhere, and to contemplate the possibility that unmitigated unruly and abusive behaviour is not only counterproductive in terms of the conduct of council’s business but has the potential to affect the health and safety of others present in the council chamber as well as tarnish the good reputation of council.”
At the first council meeting after recess on Tuesday, and one day after the letter from Mr Jensen was sent, Cr Owen said she would change her approach to chairing meetings.
“I will draw your attention to the words I used towards the end of the final meeting of the last session, and I quote, ‘I am putting all councillors on notice. We are in this place, it is a place of political debate but also a place of decorum’,” she said.
“During the recess, I put some thoughts to these sentiments and I intend to approach future meetings as following...”
Cr Owen said she intended to ensure all debate was done within appropriate bounds and would allow a broader interpretation of relevance during a debate.
Further, she said she would enforce the one-hour dinner break at 7pm if further business needed to be discussed at meetings and would ensure general business would run as long as councillors in the chamber wanted to speak.
Opposition councillors had previously criticised Cr Owen for abruptly closing council meetings during general business.
Cr Owen also said she would remove herself from LNP party room meetings to eliminate any influence of bias in her role as chairman.
The chairman had been attending party room meetings since she was elected to the role in 2015.
Cr Cumming said he hoped Cr Owen’s new approach to meetings was not just an act.
“It will be interesting to see how long this lasts because in the past she’s gone back to her own ways pretty quickly,” he said.
Cr Cumming said if Cr Owen did not act as an independent chairman the lord mayor should dismiss her from the role.
“If it generates back to where it was, she’s not fit for the position,” he said.
“We are still concerned about the behaviour at the end of the last term, we thought it was inappropriate behaviour and we will still be wary in our dealings with her.”
During general business, independent councillor Nicole Johnston spoke on councillor conduct and said she no longer supported Cr Owen as chairman of the meetings.
“I have no confidence that she is able to do what she said earlier which is to act in accordance with the rules of procedure,” Cr Johnston said.
“I don't expect that things will change.
“I note that she’s made the announcement today so the proof will be in the pudding over the next few weeks.”
The next council meeting will be held on May 8.