A Surf Coast Shire councillor has been suspended from council for a month after allegations of misconduct during meetings earlier this year.
Paul Barker was found to have engaged in misconduct during an internal arbitration and was suspended, starting September 24, from council.
Arbiter Diana Price found Mr Barker had engaged in misconduct following a Facebook post and comments he made to a Surf Coast community page on January 30, where he questioned attendance numbers of the Pilk Purriyn event on January 26.
“Mr Barker took a discrete issue, being whether a crowd attendance estimate was accurate or not and used it as a springboard to make very broad and serious allegations about the council,” Ms Price said.
“This was an attempt to sow distrust in the council, which was unwarranted and inappropriate, and his conduct falls wells short of what is reasonably expected of a councillor.”
Mr Barker was also found to have engaged in misconduct after related statements he made at council’s February 25 meeting, after a late petition, which opposed Australia Day celebrations on January 26, was accepted for debate.
Mr Barker then sent an email later that evening to his fellow councillors and the media, including the Geelong Independent.
“The behaviour of attendees and the lack of control of poor behaviour was unacceptable (and) I’d like to know what sort of review will occur to ensure it doesn’t happen again,” Mr Barker previously told the Independent.
“Mr Barker ought not to have taken the precipitous step of emailing two journalists to complain when he had not first provided the mayor or council with an opportunity to respond to his concerns,” Ms Price said.
Following the arbitration process and with council discussing its position on Australia Day celebrations on January 26 during its September 23 meeting, Mayor Mike Bodsworth outlined his expectations of council and community attending the meeting.
“It is my expectation that each person in the gallery and each councillor listens respectfully, even if they do not agree with the position being put forward,” Mr Bodsworth said.
Cr Barker was contacted for comment, but when the Independent called, it went straight to voicemail saying he was unavailable until October 24.
