Tea Tree Gully mayor Kevin Knight shouts at election rival Paul Barbaro during heated meeting
A MAYOR has been accused of intimidating behaviour for shouting at an election rival, calling him a “bloody idiot” in front of members of the public during a heated council meeting.
A MAYOR has been accused of intimidating behaviour towards a councillor advocating for the reopening of a road in northeastern Adelaide.
Tea Tree Gully mayor Kevin Knight called his rival at the forthcoming council elections, Cr Paul Barbaro, “a bloody idiot” during a heated meeting last week.
Mr Knight made the remark after refusing to allow residents explain why they wanted Crouch Rd reopened between Golden Grove Rd and One Tree Hill Rd.
The residents were organised by a candidate, Gavin Denton, who wanted to lead a deputation calling for the road to be reopened during the forthcoming bushfire season. Mr Knight said Cr Barbaro and Mr Denton were attempting to politically “grandstand” on the issue when no concerns had been raised with council since the road was closed in 2013.
Mr Knight told the meeting he did not want “this council chamber turned into a lobbying gallery” during the caretaker period for November’s election.
He then repeatedly shouted at Cr Barbaro to sit down as he attempted to move a point of order.
“I am running this meeting, you will sit down,” he said. “Sit down! Sit down! Sit down! You are a bloody idiot.
“You have been here for 12 years and you still don’t know what a point of order is. Very ordinary.”
Cr Barbaro eventually took his seat, telling Mr Knight his behaviour was “a disgrace”. The pair have a long history of disagreeing with each other.
The heated outburst was witnessed by several residents including Joseph Carbone, of Golden Grove, who told NorthEastern Weekly he thought he was “in a front bar arguing about the football not a council meeting”.
“It’s the first council meeting I’ve been to and I tell you, I won’t be going back for another one,” he said.
“I was disgusted thinking the mayor could react that way. He just started yelling and screaming, it was way out of order.”
Mr Carbone said if Mr Knight and Cr Barbaro had personal issues, they should be left outside the council chamber.
“It’s not professional, you don’t take that sort of stuff to work,” he said.
”The whole thing was very, very ordinary. It’s not how you expect a mayor to behave.
“You’ve got to be a bit more diplomatic and a bit nicer, especially when people want to talk to you about something that is important to them.”
“If he doesn’t want to give Councillor Barbaro an apology then he owes us one because that was uncalled for,” he said.
Mr Knight told NorthEastern Weekly he shouted at Cr Barbaro out of frustration with his behaviour during council meetings, where he regularly failed to meet procedurial requirements.
“It’s the only way to get through to that knucklehead,” he said. “He moved a stupid notice of motion at 4.40pm on the night of a council meeting when he knew I already had ruled against it (because of the caretaker period).”
Mr Knight said he did not regret speaking to Cr Barbaro in the manner he did.
“He would not sit down when I asked him to,” he said.
“The issue of Crouch Rd is a complex one and one which needs to be seriously looked at and all he is trying to do is turn it into an election stunt.”
Cr Barbaro said Mr Knight’s “uncontrolled, aggressive and intimidating outburst” was of “real concern”.
“It compromises core objectives of local government democracy,” he said.
“Our residents were let down and deserve better.”
Cr Barbaro said the incident highlighted the need for all council meetings to be audio recorded.