Cr Phil Martin calls for Ombudsman investigation into factional tensions
An Adelaide City councillor has made serious allegations the council’s majority faction is voting together, and has called on the State Ombudsman to step in and investigate.
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An Adelaide City councillor has expressed “serious suspicions” of the Team Adelaide faction voting together and called for the State Ombudsman to investigate.
Cr Phil Martin made allegations that the faction – which includes Deputy Lord Mayor Houssam Abiad and Crs Alex Hyde, Franz Knoll, Simon Hou, Arman Abrahimzadeh and Mary Couros – were communicating during meetings about how to vote and voting as a pack.
“The law in this State is very clear on this. It does not allow a quorate group to predetermine the outcome of meetings,” he wrote in a statement to The City.
“My personal view is the Ombudsman should be looking into this.
“The (Ombudsman’s) office can require people to answer questions and, in some circumstances, the Ombudsman may have the power to review details of electronic communication.
“I am prepared to provide any and all information that could help to dispel or to confirm these very serious suspicions.”
It follows a heated committee meeting where Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor asked to reduce the number of formal council meetings from 24 a year to 12.
In an email to undisclosed recipients after the meeting – sighted by The City – Cr Martin said people would be “outraged” by the proposed cuts.
“An independent observer could conclude this is the Adelaide City Council taking steps to try to close its doors on democracy.”
State Ombudsman Wayne Lines has previously urged local councils to not waste public money on trivial, ego-driven complaints.
His office receives up to 4000 complaints a year.
Mr Lines said: “Cr Martin is welcome to put in a complaint with information he feels would support his concerns. Him making an assertion, as he has, in public is not enough to weigh in and initiate a process.”
Deputy Lord Mayor Houssam Abiad, who has denied being the head of Team Adelaide, said Cr Martin had to differentiate “politics and maladministration”.
“He is just upset there is a group of like-minded people elected into local government,” Cr Abiad said.
“I almost want to stop calling Phil ‘Cr Phil’ and call him ‘conspiracy Phil’.”
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