Adelaide City Council gag order revoked after widespread backlash

Adelaide City Council has voted to scrap its controversial gag order — just two weeks after they voted to silence themselves from sharing ideas with the media.

Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor said she remained in favour of the rule’s intent, but the public backlash was a distraction from the council’s good work. Picture: AAP/ Brenton Edwards

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• Adelaide City councillors vote 7-4 to enforce media gag

A controversial gag-ban that stopped Adelaide City elected members from sharing their motions with the media was overturned on Tuesday night.

It was a decision that one veteran councillor called a “new phase” for the factionalised council.

In less than five minutes and no debate, the council voted 8-2 to scrap the rule that stops councillors talking to the media about proposals before they are published in the council agenda.

A controversial gag-ban that stopped Adelaide City elected members from sharing their motions with the media was overturned on Tuesday night.

The original vote on June 11 was 7-4 in support of the rule, with only Crs Anne Moran, Phillip Martin, Helen Donovan and Rob Simms voting against including it in the council’s standing orders.

At the time, Team Adelaide, the council’s majority faction which includes Houssam Abiad, Mary Couros, Simon Hou, Arman Abrahimzadeh, Franz Knoll, plus independent Jessy Khera, all wanted the rule to be part of the council’s new standing orders. Everyone except Cr Abrahimzadeh and Cr Knoll voted for the rule to be removed.

Cr Moran, a longtime elected member who was considering legal action had the order not been revoked, was behind the push for the gag to be removed.

She said after the meeting she was glad it was lifted because it was “undemocratic”.

“It’s been a long and bruising battle but right has prevailed thanks to the strong public and the media outrage at what was a breathtakingly backward move that was clearly done to shut certain councillors up,” Cr Moran said.

Adelaide City Councillors: Front, Simon Hou, Mary Couros, Alex Hyde, Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor, Anne Moran, Helen Donovan. Back, Arman Abrahimzadeh, Housman Abiad, Robert Simms, Franz Knoll, Jessy Khera. Far back, Phillip Martin. Picture: AAP / Russell Millard

“I hope this is the beginning of a new phase for this council that has been dangerously veering into dysfunction.”

It comes after Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor, pictured, said last week that she supported the push to have the rule revoked — but only because of the backlash, not because it was a bad rule.

Her change of heart followed separate motions from both Cr Alexander Hyde and Cr Moran to scrap the new rule.

Cr Hyde pulled his motion after Cr Moran’s motion passed. Crs Phillip Martin, who was not at tonight’s meeting, Robert Simms, Helen Donovan and Cr Moran all voted against the original motion labelling it “censorship”, “embarrassing”, “secrecy” and impinging on “freedom of speech”.

The councillors have until Wednesday before every meeting to lodge a motion on notice and, if accepted by Adelaide City Council chief executive Mark Goldstone, they are published on Friday in an agenda with administration comment.