Marti Zucco and John Kelly lose their cool in Hobart City Council meeting

Monday’s Hobart City Council meeting was paused after unruly elected members yelled, squabbled and spoke out of turn, with one alderman even urging the mayor to throw him out. WATCH.

Members of the Hobart City Council resorted to yelling, squabbling and speaking out of turn on Monday night, with one Alderman urging the mayor to report him and another telling her to “read the room” when she tried to de-escalate.

The monthly meeting turned sour when talk turned to the council’s new planning committee and several members did not volunteer to join.

“I have to say I’m saddened more people didn’t put their hand up,” Deputy Lord Mayor Zelinda Sherlock said.

Ms Sherlock’s comments triggered a strong response from Alderman Marti Zucco and Councillor John Kelly, who took offence to the sentiment.

“You want Zucco on the planning committee? You want Zucco to put his hand up to be the chairman? Let’s go back to proper process, let’s go back to having a planning meeting,” Mr Zucco said.

As he began taking aim at the council’s former CEO, Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds interjected.

“Excuse me alderman Zucco,” she said.

But she was quickly interrupted.

“I’m not apologising. Throw me out,” Mr Zucco said.

“I don’t need any upstart to tell me what to do and what not to do.”

Ms Reynolds asked Mr Zucco to withdraw his comments, but he refused.

“I’m not withdrawing. Write to the Director of Local Government. Lord Mayor, I’m not withdrawing,” he said.

Ms Reynolds attempted again to regain order of the meeting.

“Alderman Zucco, you’re disrupting this meeting and you’re behaving badly,” she said.

A short time later Mr Zucco was once again on his feet, this time over an exchange with Councillor Mike Dutta, which can’t be heard on the council’s livestream.

“He just told me to grow up … I told him to grow up himself,” Mr Zucco said.

City of Hobart meeting via YouTube.

“Did you use a swear word?” Mr Dutta asked.

The outburst left the mayor once again pulling members into line.

“Everybody please calm down, I’m not going to continue this meeting with this kind of behaviour from everybody,” she said.

The final straw came after an emotionally charged Mr Kelly was unable to shake the deputy’s earlier comments.

“There’s no reason, she doesn’t know my personal situation,” he said.

“I feel humiliated, I feel publicly vilified and shamed.”

As Mr Kelly continued, Ms Reynolds tried to adjourn the meeting but was interrupted.

“Someone’s disgraceful behaviour has brought this meeting to it’s knee, well done deputy mayor,” Mr Kelly said over the top of the mayor.

“Shame on you. Shame.

“Read the room Lord Mayor, read the room.”

Ms Reynolds asked elected members to “take a breather” and adjourned for five minutes.

Wait. What was all that actually about?

The council has had a handful of Planning Committee meetings, where it decides on developments, where matters have been unable to be debated or voted on because of a lack of members present.

As a fix, it was suggested the council establish a new committee.

Instead of the committee consisting of all 12 member, meaning the quorum for a meeting was seven, members instead volunteered for one of seven spots, reducing the quorum to four.

Other members were still presented with the option to attend meetings as ‘nominee members’, and doing so would increase the quorum for that meeting.

If an appointed member was unable to make the meeting, a nominee member could step up and fill their place.

The meetings would continue to be open to the public, and the community would be able to still be able to voice concerns, objections or support over projects ahead of decisions being made.

Both general council meetings and planning meetings have also been moved an hour earlier and will commence at 4pm instead of 5pm.

Matters can also now be deferred from planning the planning committee to be considered by the full council.

The changes were passed by the council.

Originally published as Marti Zucco and John Kelly lose their cool in Hobart City Council meeting