Analysis: Bad behaviour at Adelaide City Council like being in a primary school classroom

Celeste Villiani had to sit through an Adelaide City Council where the behaviour of some councillors was like being in a primary school classroom.

Adelaide City councillor Mary Couros, Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor and councillor Anne Moran

Councillors told off then sent outside for yelling at each other, only for the feud to spill into the corridors.

It sounds like something out of a primary school classroom. But instead this is what I sat through while covering Tuesday night’s Adelaide City Council meeting.

Tensions have been building over recent months, as two clear factions have emerged following last November’s election. Debates over basic topics of civic management and transparency have blown-up in to full-on, unnecessary slagging matches.

For some in the chamber, the politics has become personal, petty and distracting from all the good things the council is doing.

One faction is Team Adelaide, a new generation of councillor, with Deputy Lord Mayor Houssam Abiad at the helm. They are school’s “popular group”, if you will, who work together to get what they believe is the best outcome.

Then there is the opposing faction, which includes some long-term elected members, who often have opposing views, feel picked on and are in an older school of thought.

At this point they just cannot seem to work together.

Last council term, dysfunction was written all over Onkaparinga Council because of its spending issues and, this term, poor behaviour could see that label handed over to Adelaide City Council. Infighting needs to be stopped before it escalates further.

Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor said she would continue to pull up poor behaviour and encourage respect between members.

It is time for councillors to get back into the classroom, pick up their colour pencils and just get the job done.