Two Hume councillors at the centre of a misconduct probe maintain they were victims of a political witchhunt.
Cr Jack Medcraft, who was suspended for 28 days by a Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) panel, and Cr Jack Ogilvie, who received a reprimand, also claimed their alleged misbehaviour was blown out of proportion.
But a fellow councillor said the pair had been given a fair hearing and were found to have acted in a manner unbecoming.
A report outlining the panel’s reason for determination was released last week.
Cr Medcraft has served a one-month ban after the panel found he breached the code of conduct during a fiery meeting last September about Sunbury’s separation from Hume. The MAV panel, which followed an independent inquiry earlier this year, was launched after a referral by seven fellow councillors. The two-person panel said it was not satisfied that the initial inquiry, which the two councillors claim cleared them, rendered the complaints ‘‘frivolous, vexatious, misconceived or lacking in substance’’.
The panel found that Cr Medcraft had a firm grip on a resident’s home-made sign, which depicted him as one of Santa’s elves. Cr Medcraft claimed he held onto the sign in order to better see the images, which led to it being torn.
‘‘Cr Medcraft’s conduct … was at least unduly assertive, if not aggressive,’’ the panel report stated.
The panel also upheld complaints that the pair used disrespectful language to a journalist.
It made no finding regarding allegations that the pair had heckled then-mayor Casey Nunn and referred to her disparagingly.
Cr Ogilvie this week told
Star Weekly the pair had been ‘‘ambushed’’ by agitators at the meeting.
Cr Medcraft, who stood as an independent state election candidate weeks after the incidents, also repeated claims that the MAV panel was a ‘‘kangaroo court’’ overseen by pro-Labor members.
‘‘There was no onus of truth … those present were not required to give evidence under oath.
‘‘The first inquiry made some criticisms and I’ll cop those, but the things I was found guilty of by the second inquiry had previously been treated as nonsense and unsubstantiated.
‘‘It’s like throwing a net in the sea and not getting any fish so you throw a hand grenade.’’
Fellow councillor Ann Potter denied the complaints against councillors Medcraft and Ogilvie were politically motivated.
‘‘The process was undertaken fairly and impartially by an independent panel,’’ she said.
‘‘They were given every opportunity to defend themselves.’’
Cr Potter said the September meeting was heated but councillors had a duty to keep their cool. ‘‘If someone of my own political persuasion had behaved in the same way, I would be utterly disgusted.’’
Cr Medcraft had planned to appeal the ruling to VCAT but was unable to do so in time because an initial report listed the complainant as Hume council, not the other councillors.
