Council chairman accused of allowing bullying and being biased

NOTE: The Press Council has upheld a complaint in relation to this article. Read the full adjudication here.

Australian Press Council

Brisbane City Council’s chairman has been accused of allowing bullying and being partisan during full council meetings, prompting calls for an investigation.

LNP councillor Angela Owen was elected in 2008 and started running the council meetings at City Hall in the role of chairman of the council when Margaret de Wit retired in 2015.

Council meetings resumed for 2018 on February 5 and the council broke for Autumn recess on March 20.

Across those seven meetings councillors were formally warned seven times and a councillor was once ordered to leave the meeting.

All the incidents, as noted in publicly available minutes, involved Labor or independent councillors. No LNP councillors were warned.

Councillor Angela Owen became chairman of the council in 2015.Credit: Glenn Hunt

Opposition leader Peter Cumming wrote to the council’s chief executive Colin Jensen on Friday to formally complain about Cr Owen, describing her actions at a recent meeting as ‘ruthlessly biased’.

Cr Owen said the bullying and bias claims were false.

"I vehemently reject this claim," she said.

"These comments not only undermine the role of Chairman of Brisbane City Council, but are also defamatory as there is nothing to substantiate them."

A debate broke out between several councillors and the chair at the March 20 meeting after Labor councillor Kara Cook told the chair she was finding it difficult to hear because councillor Julian Simmonds and councillor Vicki Howard were having a conversation.

Cr Cook: I'm finding it increasingly difficult to hear what's being said here due to this conversation here.

Cr Owen: Cr Cook, I can't hear a word that Cr Simmonds is saying and quite frankly, he's not saying anything. I can see his face and—

Cr Johnston: Oh, hello.

Cr Simmonds: Point of order—

Cr Owen: Excuse me, sit down. I'm speaking. Section 41. I've put up with a lot of nonsense tonight. Cr Simmonds was not saying anything. I could clearly—don't you argue with me, Cr Johnston. I could clearly see his face. He was just nodding and Cr Howard was whispering. It was not an audible conversation, not like some of them that have taken place in the opposition benches tonight. So, Cr Johnston, finish your general business, thank you.

Cr Johnston: Point of order, Madam Chairman.

Cr Owen: Point of order.

Cr Johnston: I move dissent in your ruling.

Cr Owen: There being no seconder, dissent is not upheld. Finish your general business.

Cr Johnston: Well Cr Kara Cook was on her feet and very clearly—

Cr Owen: Cr Johnston, finish your business.

Cr Johnston: Very clearly—

Cr Owen: Finish your general business.

Cr Johnston: Thank you. Point of order, Madam Chairman. I rule dissent in your decision to not recognise Councillor—

Cr Owen: Cr Johnston, you can't rule anything. Continue your general business.

Opposition Leader Peter Cumming wrote to the council's chief executive to formally complain about Cr Owen's conduct.Credit: Glenn Hunt

Cr Cumming said in his letter it was in his opinion that Cr Owen abused her authority as chair in a purely partisan attempt to provide cover for her LNP colleague.

“The verbal assault, which Cr Owen witnessed and ignored, included aggressive gesturing," he said.

“The minutes record Cr Cook describing the attack as bullying, harassment.

“Later, in the most flagrant breach of proper meeting procedure that I have witnessed in 24 years as a councillor, Cr Owen shut down general business while Cr Johnston was mid-speech and with three Labor councillors awaiting their turn to speak.

"I have never witnessed such a ruthlessly biased ruling and want to place on the record the increasing level of frustration from opposition councillors to Cr Owen’s consistently biased rulings.”

When Fairfax Media approach the council for comment, a spokesman said the administration would not comment on any individual circumstances, but confirmed Mr Jensen reviewed all complaints he received.

Cr Cumming wrote to Mr Jensen on Friday, March 23, and on Monday evening he was yet to receive a response or acknowledgement from the chief executive.

The minutes

Cr Cook: Point of order. I find that conduct to be bullying, harassment—

Cr Owen: Excuse me, stop—

Cr Cook: Do not point your finger at me ever again.

Cr Owen: Enough. You don't rise on a point of order in this place until you are called. I was discussing the amount of time that was remaining with the clerks. I did not see what went on and I will not have councillors—don't speak when I am speaking. Read the Meetings Local Law, section 51. The behaviour and the carry on is absolutely atrocious in this place. I should be able to confirm with the clerks how much time a councillor has got remaining in their speech in general business without the nonsense going on.

Now I don't know what happened right then and there, but it ceases. I'm putting all councillors on notice. You are in this place. It is a place of political debate, but it is also a place of decorum. There are meetings local laws and when I give a ruling, I give a ruling. The same that happens in the State Parliament and the same that happens in the Federal Parliament. So start learning. When a ruling is given, just because you don't like it, it is not a reason to move dissent. Learn the rules.

Cr Johnston, you have 30 seconds.

Cr Johnston: Point of order, Madam Chairman.

Cr Owen: Point of order, Councillor Johnston.

Cr Johnston: Cr Howard's abusive and threatening conduct to Cr Cook was inappropriate and Madam Chairman, unacceptable that she turned around and did what she did and it needs to be addressed by you as a valid point of order raised by Cr Cook.

Cr Owen: Cr Johnston, Cr Cook did not raise a valid point of order at the time. She just got up and started screaming, as I have indicated, I did not see what was going on. If there is concerns, there are appropriate mechanisms for those two councillors to sort it out. I cannot rule on something I did not see because I was confirming with the clerk how much time was left. Further general business? I declare the meeting closed.