Mitcham councillor Jasmine Berry considers quitting after a social media stoush with fellow member Karen Hockley
Things are going from bad to worse at Mitcham Council. Just weeks after claims of bullying and intimidation were raised, a social media stoush has one councillor considering her future.
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An elected member at a major Adelaide council is considering her future in local government after an ugly exchange on social media.
Mitcham Council, the recent subject of allegations of bullying and intimidation among elected members, has been rocked by a public spat involving councillors Karen Hockley and Jasmine Berry.
Cr Berry, who lost her father Ron Selth to the devastating Cudlee Creek bushfire in December, claimed she had been unfairly slurred with claims of racism following a Facebook post of Cr Hockley following Tuesday night’s council meeting.
The Messenger understands Cr Berry has discussed resigning over the matter.
She told The Messenger her experience had been “absolutely awful” and that she would have “more to say” publicly next week.
Cr Hockley expressed frustration on her official Facebook page that her motion calling on federal ministers to implement recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody could not be debated because several councillors left the meeting early.
She named councillors Lindy Taeuber, Jane Bange and Berry as those who walked out as she was speaking, leaving no quorum and resulting in the meeting closing three minutes early.
“A mass walk out after the motion has been moved is worthy of reporting to the community,” Cr Hockley wrote.
“Any delay in implementing the recommendations could see more people die.”
In response, Cr Berry posted that Cr Hockley, a former state and federal election candidate, was guilty of “disgraceful slander”.
“The assumption that councillors who left the meeting at the designated end time are racist is appalling,” Cr Berry wrote.
“The insinuation that I am racist is a slight on my character. Disgraceful slander. We are meant to be working together and these kinds of character attacks are incredibly unhelpful.”
Comments from a Mitcham resident on the post accused Cr Berry of behaviour that “looks lazy, uncommitted, rude, (and) disrespectful”.
“You couldn’t dig deep and serve a couple of extra minutes,” the resident wrote.
Cr Berry’s husband, a pastor at the Trinity Baptist church at Colonel Light Gardens, went online to defend his wife.
“Spreading half-truths and distortions to insinuate that other councillors have thwarted your noble efforts proves that you aren’t a team player,” Mr Berry wrote.
“Why do you want to make the world more divisive Karen?
“Your aim clearly appears to shame those who aren’t ‘on your team’. Have a look at the comments on those who have shared your status update. I wouldn’t like to try and work alongside someone who seeks to dirty the name of other well-meaning councillors. Poor form.”
Cr Berry, who has three young children, said she would have supported Cr Hockley’s motion but it had been raised without notice and with only a few minutes left in the meeting.
“I left and went straight home to bed,” she said.
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Cr Hockley was surprised at Cr Berry’s reaction and response.
“I was very careful to make my post non-judgmental and simply report the events,” Cr Hockley wrote on Facebook.
“If councillors feel that their actions ‘dirty their name’ then they should change their actions rather than seek to prevent them from being reported.”
She also adjusted her initial post to record that Cr Adriana Christopoulos left the meeting at the same time as the other councillors.
Cr Hockley intends to bring the same motion to the next council meeting on June 23.
Cr Christopoulos said, due to the infighting, Mayor Heather Holmes-Ross should be the one to raise the motion.
“I think that the current social media traffic from Cr Hockley’s post has tainted this motion by associating it with other motives, staining it and diluting its integrity and focus,” Cr Christopoulos said.
Mitcham is already conducting a by-election in Cr Berry’s Gault Ward after the sudden resignation due to ill health of Cr Stephen Fisher, who served for 29 years.