Deputy Mayor Anthony Aitken has again apologised to fellow councillors Sarah Hathway, Jim Mason and Elise Wilkinson for his comments to them at a Council Planning Committee meeting in December last year.
The three aggrieved councillors made an application for an arbitration process to make a finding of misconduct against Cr Aitken on December 20 last year, alleging he publicly accused them of coming into the planning committee meeting on December 14 with a predetermined view on a planning application up for consideration.
According to Yehudi Blacher’s report, released on May 15, after the planning committee meeting Crs Hathway and Wilkinson approached Cr Aitken to raise their concerns about his comments, only for him to respond that he “noted” their concerns and walked away.
After a directions hearing in February, Cr Aitken defended his comments in a submission, saying his intent was to “assist” meeting chair Cr Mason in ensuring proper governance procedures were followed.
The arbiter’s report concluded Cr Aitken contravened Clause 1 of the Standards of Conduct of the Local Government (Governance and Integrity) regulations 2020.
In the report Mr Blacher said “to his credit” Cr Aitken did assist Cr Mason with advice on how to conduct the meeting, but his comments were “disrespectful and discourteous within the meaning of the Regulations”, further reinforced by his later response to Crs Hathway and Wilkinson.
Mr Blacher also criticised the complainants, saying they had “collectively… subjected Geelong ratepayers to the cost and time involved in this external arbitration” by not seeking to have the matter resolved internally.
Cr Aitken, who previously apologised for his conduct at the council’s April meeting, reaffirmed his contrition at the council meeting this week (Tuesday, May 28).
“I… agree with the arbiter’s report that I should have been more careful with my words during the planning meeting and more sensitive to the concerns expressed by Councillor Wilkinson and Councillor Hathway, and because of that, I do apologise,” he said.
Matt Hewson
