Darebin Council has become incapable of dealing with its ordinary business and, once again, requires intervention from the Minister for Local Government. Following a general discussion of Council's governance and conduct issues, a detailed case example shows councillors disregarding governance advice, concerted abuse directed at the Acting Chair and disregard for her rulings. It includes a transcript of the item which shows exactly how a handful of councillors continue to frustrate the business of Darebin Council.
Appointment of a Municipal Monitor in 2022
The previous Minister for Local Government appointed a Municipal Monitor, John Watson, partway through the current term of Darebin Council. Mr Watson stated in his report that his first meeting at Darebin Council on 26 April 2022, "... had been one of the most difficult meetings I had witnessed in over 50 years involved in local government." He reported that staff vacancy rates stood at 20%, noting the poor reputation of Darebin Council as a place to work, and estimated the cost of the poor behaviour of councillors up to early 2023, at $600,000. I'm sorry to say, Mr Watson, that Darebin Council is just as dysfunctional as ever.
The following are verbatim excerpts from his report (click on the related linked text above for more detail):
Independent Arbiters' findings of councillor misconduct in 2022-2024
Cr Tim Laurence - 8 substantiated instances of misconduct
Cr Tim Laurence (Labor) was found by an Independent Arbiter, in a decision tabled on 14 November 2022, to have engaged in six separate instances of misconduct primarily relating to disparaging fellow councillors. A second Independent Arbiter found, in a decision tabled on 27 February 2023, that he engaged in two further instances of misconduct relating to spurious accusations of racism, sexism and discrimination. Other complaints about Cr Laurence's conduct were withdrawn on the urging of the Municipal Monitor, which is unfortunate. They should have been allowed to play out in the public arena rather than be papered over with a false unity.
Cr Emily Dimitriadis - 6 substantiated instances of misconduct
Another Independent Arbiter's report has been published with the agenda of a Special Council Meeting, scheduled this week for 1 February 2024. The Arbiter's report makes for extremely concerning reading.
Taking just one example from her report, relating to Darebin Council's debate on the Voice to Parliament Referendum [see my full report on that meeting here], the Arbiter found that Cr Emily Dimitriadis showed a lack of respect by knowingly interrupting a private meeting between the Mayor and Uncle Alan Brown (Chair of the Darebin Aboriginal Advisory Committee) which took place during an adjournment; she also did nothing to stop other Elders from interrupting the meeting [paras 43ff]. In raising her voice and angrily criticising the CEO in front of staff, the Arbiter found that she had created psychosocial risks to members of the workplace that could compromise their health and safety, and had damaged the reputation of Darebin Council as a safe place to work [paras. 86-88]. The Arbiter also found that she must take responsibility for "creating a culturally unsafe situation" and that she had disrespected DAAC and, "...its self-determination in determining a culturally appropriate method to undertake consultation" [paras. 133-134].
In total, Cr Dimitriadis was found to have engaged in six substantiated instances of misconduct and the sanctions imposed on her - including six unreserved verbal apologies at the coming meeting, written apologies to staff in online forums, substantial training requirements, and a one month suspension - may be the most severe set of sanctions of their kind [para. 217].
Lack of cooperation and poor behaviour thwarts council business
The level of contempt and disdain that many councillors feel for each other permeates every meeting. The lack of cooperation between councillors is reflected in the long lists of Notices of Motion which are generally used to push one faction's agenda. Meetings are frequently adjourned to deal with conflict.
There are interminable debates and invocations of the Governance Rules. Those who are most reliant upon procedural objections have proven, time and again, incapable of correctly applying the rules. Meeting Chairs are forced to ask for governance advice in the face of multiple ill-defined Points of Order when contentious items are under debate. Yet, the authority of the Chair is often disregarded, accusations are thrown around, and meetings grind to a halt in order to debate (and lose) Motions of Dissent in the Chair.
Decisions made by councillors are often overturned via Rescission Motions. Special Council Meetings are called to debate these motions, costing hours of staff, councillor and the public's time. The overuse of Urgent Motions, which are dropped on councillors on the day of the meeting, means that councillors are unable to properly prepare for debate which leads to poor decision-making. Due to unnecessarily long debates and procedural objections, agendas cannot be completed in time and items are carried over from one meeting to the next.
Several councillors are simply not discharging their role as a councillor, as set out in the Local Government Act 2020, given their poor conduct, lack of compliance with Council's procedures for good governance and their lack of acknowledgment and support of the Mayor (see Division 5 S.28(2)).
In short, Darebin Council has become ungovernable.
Recent examples of poor decision-making
The following are just a few recent examples, where decisions made at an Ordinary Council Meeting on 18 December 2023 have been overturned at Special Council Meetings held on 6 and 22 January 2024:
Whether or not to fly the Palestinian flag on the Council premises in Gower Street, Preston, was revisited three times, amid acrimonious debate: (1) It was decided on 18 December 2023 that the flag would be flown as part of an Urgent Motion that was suddenly substituted for a motion that was already on the agenda; (2) on 6 January 2024 it was decided via an Urgent Motion that the flag would come down to make way for other flags; and (3) on 22 January 2024 the previous decision was rescinded so the Palestinian flag could continue to fly.
On 8 January 2024, there was Rescission Motion regarding the Your Streets Your Say Group B item which had been hastily adopted by Darebin Council on 18 December 2023 due to time pressures caused by an overstuffed and controversial agenda. The item was principally about an integrated street safety and mobility plan. The ensuing debate took a staggering 2 hours and 24 minutes and led to expert advice being overturned by one of the factions.
On 18 December 2023, Darebin Council agreed to a funding proposal in relation to a migration monument. This resolution was rescinded on 8 January 2024 and a new motion was put to the meeting because the previous resolution, contrary to officer advice, had allowed insufficient time for community consultation and the selection of an artist. Why were councillors unable to get together on the simple matter of timing?
Request for the Minister for Local Government to intervene
So, should the community ask the Minister for Local Government for another Municipal Monitor to be appointed, or do we give up on our council altogether and ask for an Administrator? Both are expensive options, and, in the latter case, I am concerned that it would be playing into the hands of people who tried to get an Administrator appointed the last time they were dissatisfied with the outcome of a Mayoral election. Note that foreshadowed reforms to the Local Government Act 2020, which are intended to address council performance and individual councillor behaviour, are still under consultation.
I will be writing to the Minister for Local Government, Hon. Melissa Horne, MP about the substandard performance of Darebin Council with a request for her to intervene.
Case example - Councillors refuse to accept governance advice
The following discussion relating to the Special Council Meeting on 22 January 2024 serves as an example of how the business of Darebin Council is affected by poor conduct.
Cr Laurence proposed to place Urgent Business onto the Special Council Meeting agenda on 22 January 2024. The matter concerned a woman who was evicted from her home of 29 years in February 2021. It is unclear why Cr Laurence didn't place this matter on the agenda of an Ordinary Council Meeting any time in the past three or more years instead of trying to force it onto the agenda of a Special Council Meeting that was convened for a different purpose.
Mayor Newton declared a conflict of interest in relation to the proposed business, so a vote was taken to appoint Cr Susan Rennie (Independent) to the position of Acting Chair. Cr Rennie, a former Mayor, is an experienced chairperson.
Cr Rennie, after seeking governance advice from the CEO, Peter Smith, disallowed the motion from being put on the agenda as it did not comply with the Governance Rules. Mr Smith confirmed that a compliant draft motion was provided to Cr Laurence, in advance of the meeting, but Cr Laurence apparently changed it and also did not meet the 12pm deadline on the day of the meeting to circulate it.
What ensued was a litany of abuse and a belligerent refusal to accept either the governance advice or Cr Rennie's authority as Acting Chair (see full transcript below):
The words "Point of Order" were uttered 14 times between Cr Laurence, Cr Gaetano Greco (Independent) and Cr Emily Dimitriadis
There were dozens of interjections made by these same councillors, who also refused to stop talking when directed to do so a half dozen times by Cr Rennie
Cr Laurence regularly talked over Cr Rennie
Cr Greco tried to raise a Dissent Motion about Cr Rennie's determination not to allow the matter on the agenda
Twice, Cr Laurence accused Cr Rennie of making false and/or misleading statements.
Cr Laurence accused other, unspecified people, of making false statements in relation to material that he said was being privately read out to him
Cr Laurence accused Cr Rennie of failing to exercise her own judgment regarding the governance advice, and of "hiding behind lies"
Cr Dimitriadis twice accused Cr Rennie of "making up" her own Governance Rules
Cr Laurence accused Mr Smith of making false statements
Cr Laurence complained about Mr Smith showing the top of his head to the camera, and demanded decorum in the meeting
Twice, Cr Dimitriadis, and once, Cr Greco, accused Cr Rennie of running the meeting in a dictatorial manner
Cr Laurence accused unspecified people in the chamber of having a conflict of interest in relation to the person who was the subject of his motion
Can a Point of Order even be accepted if an item is not on the agenda and in the process of being debated? Certainly, a Motion of Dissent in the Chair cannot be accepted in the absence of a Point of Order. The trio pressed on with their objections regardless.
When the Mayor was brought back into the meeting, Cr Dimitriadis bizarrely tried to get her to appoint a different Acting Chair so that person could be persuaded to ignore governance advice and place Cr Laurence's item on the agenda! A confusing discussion took place between her and Mayor Newton, where she kept incorrectly referring to the matter as "your" (Mayor Newton's) Urgent Business when it was not. Obviously, as the matter had been disposed of, the Mayor could not place it on the agenda.
By this time Cr Rennie had left the meeting in disgust, and at various points throughout the discussions the CEO could be seen shaking his head in disbelief. Following an adjournment, Cr Laurence told the meeting that he apologised for his 'outbursts' while at the same time continuing to justify them.
The Mayor was eventually able to close the meeting. All up, this fruitless discussion, inclusive of two adjournments, took more than 37minutes to complete.
Watch the video of this part of the Darebin Council meeting here: http://tinyurl.com/5xtap6z8 (44m53s - 1hr22m10s).
Edited transcript
Cr Rennie: | Thank you, Cr Laurence, I'll step into that role [of Acting Chair]. Thank you, colleagues, for your vote of confidence in me taking on this. CEO I might first ask you to advise whether this matter has been deemed urgent? |
Mr Smith: | Through you, Acting Chairperson, the councillor moving it, which is Cr Laurence would need to make an argument about why it's urgent in putting the procedural motion for Council to accept an urgent item. |
Cr Rennie: | Okay, thank you. I'm wondering if we might get the motion on the screen so councillors can actually see it on the screen, and so that our viewers can also see it on the screen, before I'll invite Councillor Laurence to move the motion asking for support for it to be moved as urgent. So, if we could get it up on the screen briefly. Yes, Enna... |
Enna (Council officer): | Through you, Chair. I wonder if I could request a short adjournment. We just need to clarify the version that we're working with here. It's not clear which version we will be displaying. |
Cr Rennie: | Thank you. I'll adjourn the meeting until 7pm. So that's a seven minute adjournment. Thank you. |
Meeting adjourned at 50m17s, recommending at 57m37s. | |
Cr Rennie: | Thank you, councillors, for coming back promptly. We have quorum, so let's call the meeting back to order. We'll take down that screen. Thank you. Councillor Laurence, I've received advice that the motion you were seeking to table as urgent does not meet the governance requirements for a Notice of Motion. I'm therefore unable to accept it onto the agenda due to the content not being compliant. I would suggest that we defer the item until you've been able to work with the CEO to present Council with a Notice of Motion that complies with ourgovernance rules. Is that acceptable to you please? |
Cr Laurence: | My understanding of the meeting rules is that it's up to the will of the meeting to accept or reject an Urgent Motion. |
Cr Rennie: | Cr Laurence, it's up to the will of the meeting to accept or reject a motion if the motion is actually a legal and compliant motion. So, unfortunately the motion you're seeking to present to... |
Cr Dimitriadis: | [Interjects] Point of Order. Sorry Chair. A motion is not necessarily legal, and there's no legal requirements for a motion. It's actually [Indistinct], whether it's compliant and because it's an Urgent Motion. I don't understand... |
Cr Rennie: | Cr Dimitriadis, thank you... |
Cr Dimitriadis: | [Interjects] You're just making things up. |
Cr Rennie: | Cr Dimitriadis, I've received advice, okay. The motion does not comply with our Governance Rules because of some of the content in the motion. As it does not comply, I cannot accept it onto the agenda. That's not about whether we vote or don't vote. I accept that Council could, if the motion was compliant, vote to accept it onto the agenda. So, this is not a debate about whether Council can vote to accept Urgent Business. Council can obviously vote to accept Urgent Business, but the business must be compliant. This is not compliant. Councillor Laurence, I would propose that it would be helpful for you to work with the CEO to bring forward a compliant motion that could be heard at a future meeting. |
Cr Greco: | Mayor Rennie...Acting Mayor Rennie, so you're making a determination based on advice - so that I understand it - based on advice that the Urgent Motion put forward by Cr Laurence cannot be submitted for this meeting? Is that correct? You're making that determination? |
Cr Rennie: | That is correct, Cr Greco, and I'm happy to pass to the CEO to explain why the motion is not compliant. Thank you, Mr Smith. |
Mr Smith: | Through you, Chair. Under 8.13(h)...So 8.13 reads, "A procedural motion - so that's the procedural motion to accept an Urgent Item [Indistinct] can be this can only be approved by the Council, if the proposed motion of Urgent Business - and under (h) - has not been rejected as a Notice of Motion in accordance with Clause 6.3; and 6.3 talks about the criteria for a valid Notice of Motion which I believe all councillors are familiar with. For example, a motion is within the powers of Council. Furthermore, [Indistinct] explanation Cr Dimitriadis. I'm happy to take further questions. [Background noise.] |
Cr Greco: | Mayor Rennie, could I ask a question? Because it's not clear to me. |
Mr Smith: | Under 8.1(4), a proposed item of Urgent Business must be submitted in writing to the CEO by no later than 12. Now, Cr Laurence was provided with a valid version of his motion on Friday by myself, that could have been circulated by 12 today. Instead, another version was circulated by 12 today, not the motion that was valid and provided in draft to Cr Laurence on Friday. So because the version that was circulated by 12 today was invalid - it didn't meet 8.13(h). A Council, under these rules, you cannot approve the procedural motion for Urgent Business. |
Cr Rennie: | Cr Greco, Cr Dimitriadis had her hand in the air. |
Cr Greco: | Ah, I'm sorry about that. |
Cr Rennie: | We'll hear Cr Dimitriadis first. |
Cr Dimitriadis: | Thank you. Cr Laurence didn't actually submit a Notice of Motion. So, my understanding of the Governance Rules is that the Notice of Motion clauses are not valid in this case because he's submitted an Urgent Motion, so that comes straight to Council for a decision. |
Cr Rennie: | Mr. Smith...? |
Mr Smith: | Through you, Mayor, Cr Dimitriadis you're incorrect. I'd refer you to 8.13 which I just read out to you - which Section Eight of the Governance Rules - have you got them in front of you? - it talks about Urgent Business. 8.13(h) says you cannot do the Procedural Motion for Urgent Business if the motion that's being proposed as Urgent Business doesn't meet the requirements of 6.3, which are the clauses which apply to any motion. |
Cr Dimitriadis: | [Interjects] Doesn't... doesn't.. it says about a Notice of Motion. |
Mr Smith: | Though you, Chair. |
Cr Rennie: | Sorry, Mr. Smith, I think that's clear. Cr Dimitriadis we're not entering into a debate in this forum about the Governance Rules. The advice is extremely clear. There'll be no further debate. Cr Greco, you had a question? |
Cr Greco: | I have a question. I just clearly want to understand, for the purpose of this meeting, who is making the decision that the motion is not a valid motion? Is the decision being made by the CEO and therefore, it should not have come to this point and to this meeting? Or is the decision being made on advice from the CEO to the Acting Chair to make a determination that the motion is not valid? |
Cr Rennie: | Thank you, Cr Greco with the advice that I've received from the CEO I'm unable to allow this matter to proceed further, and that is therefore the end of the matter. Councillor Laurence... [Interjects] Cr Greco, there is no provision in the Governance Law [sic] to move a Dissent Motion because you disagree with what the Chair is doing. There is no Point of Order. And councillors... |
Cr Greco: | [Interjects] Therefore, therefore Mayor Rennie I move a Dissent Motion from your determination that that you have made in relation to this motion; given that it's your decision... [Interjects] Point of Order I have a Point of Order. I have a Point of Order; the Point of Order is... |
Cr Rennie: | Cr Greco, stop there! This is disruptive. This is unnecessary. It is 7:09pm we are not going to do this... |
Cr Greco: | [Interjects] I have a Point of Order, Mayor. |
Cr Rennie: | No, Cr Greco...No! Okay? |
Cr Greco: | [Interjects] Are you denying me... |
Cr Rennie: | [Indistinct] |
Cr Greco: | [Interjects] ... a Point of Order? |
Cr Rennie: | [Indistinct] ... No! Cr Laurence. |
Cr Dimitriadis: | I have a Point of Order as well... |
Cr Rennie: | Cr Dimitriadis, please be silent. I'm not accepting it. Cr Laurence... |
Cr Dimitriadis: | [Editorial note 31/1: I hear the epithet ‘Cow!’ Cr Dimitriadis claimed via direct message to me that she said ‘Wow’, which she then retracted, messaging that she said ‘How.’ If I am incorrect then I apologise for the references in the original article. See the video at 1hr 5min-1hr 6min.] |
Cr Rennie: | In the interests of not making... |
Cr Dimitriadis: | [Interjects] It's not a dictatorship... |
Cr Rennie: | Cr Dimitriadis, I'm sorry, you elected me Acting Mayor. Don't do it next time because this is what you get. |
Cr Greco: | You weren't elected to be the dictator of this meeting. |
Cr Rennie: | Councillor Laurence, in the interests of moving forward. I'm very sorry. I understand that this is heartfelt and that you would like this motion to be heard tonight. Unfortunately, with the advice I received I couldn't allow that to go on... |
Cr Laurence: | [Talking over Cr Rennie] No, no. |
Cr Rennie: | Can you please...[Indistinct]? |
Cr Laurence: | [Interjects] Mayor, Chair, Chair, that is a false and misleading statement: It is not a personal matter for me to stand up to corruption, it is something this Council should do... |
Cr Rennie: | Councillors, I'm unwilling...I point out... |
Cr Laurence: | [Interjects] I would also like to point out that some of the information being read out to me, which the public can't see, is quite false. And I'm still concerned there are people in the chamber who say that people involved in this adverse action against [name of homeless woman redacted] are friends, and they haven't declared conflict. |
Cr Rennie: | Cr Laurence... |
Cr Laurence: | [Interjects] It is regarding the advice of councillors where a... |
Cr Rennie: | Cr Laurence...I'm sorry, I do need you to stop. I'm very sorry. I think those... |
Cr Laurence: | [Interjects] ...those issues of conflict of interest need to be addressed. Before we engage in rather petty notions about using procedure to protect the powerful and not saying... |
Cr Rennie: | I have repeatedly...Cr Laurence, I'm asking you to please stop talking. Okay, councillors...[Cr Laurence continues talking over Cr Rennie] Okay, councillors... |
Cr Laurence: | So, you've made... |
Cr Rennie: | You elected me Acting Mayor... |
Cr Laurence: | [Interjects] The public needs to be given that [Indistinct] |
Cr Rennie: | Cr Laurence, please stop... Please be quiet. Now. Councillors... |
Cr Laurence: | The public do need to be given that public information, and this venue is not the place... |
Cr Rennie: | Cr Laurence, please stop talking... |
Cr Laurence: | [Interjects] ...is not the place to stand up for the homeless, obviously. |
Cr Rennie: | Please stop talking... |
Cr Dimitriadis: | Point of Order. |
Cr Rennie: | Councillors... |
Cr Dimitriadis: | Point of Order, Mary [sic], Point of Order, Chair. |
Cr Rennie: | I'm not taking your Point of Order. |
Cr Dimitriadis: | Hey, could you...you have to hear... |
Cr Rennie: | I cannot take your Point of Order. |
Cr Dimitriadis: | How are you running this meeting? |
Cr Rennie: | I can be as outrageous as I wish. I point out to you that I was following... |
Cr Dimitriadis: | [Interjects] You're not even following the Governance Rules. You're making up your rules. |
Cr Rennie: | I point out to you that I was not asked if I wished to be appointed Acting Mayor. I did not vote for myself to be Acting Mayor... |
Cr Dimitriadis: | [Interjects] That doesn't make you a dictator. |
Cr Rennie: | And you have...you voted for me to be Acting Mayor. And if you don't like what you've got, vote for someone else next time. I've made a ruling...this item will not come onto the agenda... |
Cr Laurence: | [Interjects] that's not really an excuse for uttering falsehoods, which you have. |
Cr Rennie: | I have followed the advice of the CEO. Okay, there's no reason for this meeting to continue. |
Cr Laurence: | [Talking over the Acting Mayor] you need to exercise your own judgement and not ... |
Cr Rennie: | I have exercised my judgement, I now... |
Cr Laurence: | [Talks over the Acting Mayor] You're hiding behind lies. |
Cr Rennie: | I now bring this item to an end. And, I would invite, given that this item I've now called to an end, I would suggest that we invite the Mayor back into the meeting so that she can close the meeting. Mr. Smith, can I just check that we're inviting Mayor Newton back into the meeting? |
Cr Dimitriadis: | We are, Chair. |
Cr Laurence: | I have a question for the Mayor. |
Cr Rennie: | Mr. Smith if we are unable to get the Mayor. I wonder whether I can hand the Chair back to the Acting Mayor, which will be Council Laurence. Ah no, here's the Mayor. Mayor Newton, back to you. |
Mayor Newton: | Thank you, Cr Rennie as temporary Chairperson. I'll now resume my duties as Chair so, we're on Item 7 Urgent Business. Is there any other [Indistinct]? No. So we... |
Cr Dimitriadis: | Yes, Mayor sorry. I wanted to raise a...Cr Newton's Urgent Motion. |
Mayor Newton: | I don't have an Urgent Motion, Cr. Dimitriadis. |
Cr Dimitriadis: | Yeah, I'm happy. Well, the thing is, it wasn't actually heard, based on Cr Rennie just not approving it into the meeting on her own accord, which she can't do that according to the Governance Rules, so I'd like to raise it instead. |
Mayor Newton: | Sorry, Cr Dimitriadis I'm not clear on what urgent motion of mine you're talking about. |
Cr Dimitriadis: | The urgent motion that you declared a conflict on wasn't actually heard. We didn't actually hear it. Because Cr Rennie just decided that she wasn't [chuckling] going to allow it into the meeting. So, she was chosen as the Chair of the meeting... |
Mayor Newton: | I have a conflict on the item. So... |
Cr Dimitriadis: | I'm hoping we can bring the item back and I'm happy to choose for somebody else to raise... to be the Chair. |
Councillor Rennie leaves the meeting at 1hr11m00s | |
Mayor Newton: | I see. Okay, so I'm sorry, I need governance advice on that. So, you're wanting to...you can't [Indistinct because she is being talked over] ...within six months of... |
Cr Dimitriadis: | [Interjects] Well, no, it hasn't actually been raised. To be honest. It hasn't been raised. So, we just need to hear the Urgent Motion that Cr Rennie just decided not to accept. We didn't vote on it. |
Mayor Newton: | I need governance advice on this. So, I have a conflict on the item about [name of homeless woman redacted]. So, CEO, I might refer to you for governance advice. |
Mr Smith: | Thank you, Mayor. Welcome back. I don't think you have a conflict in terms of the process. And so I'm happy to give advice on the process. |
Mayor Newton: | Okay. Sure. My understanding would be that you can't raise the same item twice in a meeting. |
Mr Smith: | The item was deferred by the Chair. As far as I understand the decision, I'd have to check with the governance team in terms of what they recorded. But I won't talk about the issue because of your conflict. But I will give you some advice on the process given Cr Dimitriadis' questions of you. So, my understanding is that an Urgent Motion must not be approved. So, the procedural motion to accept an urgent item must not be approved, if the proposed motion doesn't meet the rules of a motion in the Governance Rules, in essence, and it also needed to be circulated by 12... |
Cr Laurence: | [Interjects] It hasn't been debated or tested and I would request you to stop making false statements. Also, can you please face the camera? We don't want to see your top of your head. |
Mr Smith: | I believe I am facing the camera on my screen, Cr Laurence. |
Mayor Newton: | Cr Laurence, I can see... |
Cr Laurence: | [Interjects] we've had a number of minutes of the top of the CEO's head in the meeting. Can we actually have some decorum in the meeting? |
Mayor Newton: | [Tries to regain control of the meeting but is talked over by Cr Laurence.] |
Mr Smith: | I'm not feeling that I'm getting [Indistinct] I'm trying to give my best advice. Thank you. |
Mayor Newton: | I'll adjourn the meeting for five minutes so that I can seek governance advice. Thank you we'll reconvene at 7:22pm. Okay, councillors, can I get your videos on please? I need at least five councillors on screen to restart the meeting. |
Meeting adjourned at 1hr13m36s, recommenced at 1hr18m50s | |
Cr Messina: | Excuse me, Mayor, I'm sorry to interject but I've tried to start the video and it says you cannot start your video because the host has stopped it. |
Mayor Newton: | Okay. Can we get assistance with Cr... Oh yeah, you're on screen now. Thank you. Councillor Messina. Councillor Laurence, can you turn on your video? And Councillor Hannan? Cr Laurence, are you able to turn your video on? |
Cr Laurence: | No, I'm not able to turn it. It has the host has asked to start the video later. |
Cr Newton: | I see. Can the host help me [with] turning on Cr Laurence's video or is it something that Cr Laurence has to press to turn on video? All right, Cr Laurence, we've got you now. So I will restart the meeting at 7:24pm So I've received governance [advice] on this issue. And my understanding is that we have dealt with this item, so we can't raise it again. Cr Laurence, you wanted to make a statement? |
Cr Laurence: | Ah yes, I just want to apologise to the meeting to all councillors and all staff. It has been 12 months to try and get this issue of the rough sleeping and the unfair de-housing of a pioneer of social housing to this Council. I am frustrated by it and I do want to apologise for my outbursts. |
Mayor Newton: | Thank you, Cr Laurence. So, I'll just call again. Are there any further items of Urgent Business? No, okay. So, in that case, we will go on to Item 8, which is consideration of reports considered confidential. Councillors there are no confidential items to be considered this evening. So, we're now going to Item 9 close of meeting as there is no other business to consider this evening. I would like to declare the Council meeting closed at 7:25pm. Thank you and good night councillors, officers and our viewers live streaming. And officers can you please cease the live streaming? And we'll just wait to confirm that... |
Meeting closed 1hr22m10s |