Adelaide City councillor Phillip Martin ‘disrespected’ Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor, senior managers

The Deputy Lord Mayor says she felt “violated” after a colleague took photos of her in public.

A prominent city councillor “disrespected” Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor and senior management during meetings, an inquiry has found.

The investigation by law firm Kelledy Jones determined North Adelaide ward councillor Phillip Martin twice breached the council’s code of conduct by describing Ms Verschoor as “impotent” and accusing council administration of financial “mismanagement”.

Cr Martin was cleared of allegations he “intimidated” Deputy Lord Mayor Mary Couros by taking photographs of her during a public forum at North Adelaide in March about the redevelopment of the former Le Cornu site on O’Connell St.

Ms Couros lodged a code of conduct complaint against Cr Martin, claiming he had made her “feel uncomfortable and intimidated”.

“His incredibly peculiar behaviour was very intimidating,” it said.

Councillor Phillip Martin during an Adelaide City Council meeting at Adelaide Town Hall. Picture: Brenton Edwards

“It was unwelcome and unprompted. It made me feel so violated and unsafe that I left the venue earlier than I had intended.”

The investigation cleared Cr Martin of the intimidation claims.

In her complaint, Cr Couros also alleged Cr Martin failed to show respect to Ms Verschoor by saying she could be seen as “impotent” over a decision in March by a majority of councillors to reject plans for a $6m east-west bikeway across the city.

Her third allegation involved a meeting in April of the council’s monthly workshop known as The Committee, of which Ms Couros is the chairwoman.

During a discussion about the council’s financial position, Cr Martin questioned whether the council was in “financial strife” because of “our mismanagement”.

The comment sparked a strong response by then acting chief executive Clare Mockler, who demanded he retract the statement, which Cr Martin refused to do.

In its final report, Kelledy Jones exonerated Cr Martin of intimidating Cr Couros at the North Adelaide public forum but upheld the complaint of showing disrespect to Ms Verschoor and council management, including Ms Mockler.

It recommended he should be told to publicly apologise at a forthcoming council meeting.

Cr Martin said he was taking selfies at the community forum for a newsletter to residents when he was approached by Cr Couros and told to stop.

“I was the one being intimidated through clenched teeth at a public meeting,” he said.

Cr Martin said his comments about Ms Verschoor and the council’s financial management were made during “robust debate”.

“Neither Sandy Verschoor nor Clare Mockler lodged a complaint about this,” he said.

“Mary Couros was the complainer again, even though she was not directly involved.”

Cr Martin said he was considering whether he would publicly apologise.

Deputy Lord Mayor Mary Couros during an Adelaide City Council meeting at Adelaide Town Hall. Picture: Brenton Edwards

“My job is to keep this Adelaide City Council accountable to our ratepayers and robust debate and questions are the only tools available at this time,” he said.

Cr Couros said Cr Martin’s conduct had continued a “disturbing trend of behaviour from a minority of councillors that has been accepted as the norm for decades”.

Cr Martin was named in a separate report by Adelaide law firm EMA Legal as one of the key individuals allegedly responsible for a toxic culture within the council.

The code of conduct report about Cr Martin will be discussed by elected members on Tuesday night.