Jared Cassidy removed from Brisbane council chamber by police

Brisbane City Council’s opposition leader has been escorted from the chamber by police, after he returned when ejected for an outburst of profanity.

POLICE escorted Brisbane’s opposition leader out of the City Hall chamber today after he refused an order to leave for yelling “crock of s---” across the chamber.

The council chamber was in the middle of a vote when Cr Cassidy said the phrase, while claiming he was quoting an LNP councillor.

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The outburst from Cr Cassidy prompted council chair Andrew Wines to order the opposition leader to immediately leave the chamber, without making a prior warning.

Cr Cassidy briefly left the chamber but returned, armed with a printed copy of the Meetings Local Law, insisting a warning was required before he was kicked out.

His refusal to leave prompted a suspension of the meeting.

Police were called after Cr Cassidy and members of his Labor team, plus Greens councillor Jonathan Sri, would not leave the chamber.

As Cr Cassidy was escorted out by police, he said it was “the death of democracy in City Hall”.

After the meeting was resumed Cr Wines said: “I remind all councillors that swearing is not permitted.”

The furore began when Cr Cassidy was ordered to leave after an urgency motion he moved demanding Cr Schrinner release details of councillors, high-level managers and families who received council contracts failed.

After being escorted out the chamber, Cr Cassidy said he had only been reporting to the council chair what he claims he heard another LNP councillor say.

He said he would consider a number of avenues to challenges the decision, including possibly taking the matter to court.

Cr Cassidy insists he should have been given a warning before being directed to leave the chamber.

“I’m going to take this as far and as high as I can,” he said.

“Labor councillors are in lock step that this kind of behaviour is wrong.

“We should not have a council operate in this way.”

Cr Cassidy said he made the decision to leave the chamber under police escort after they told him they would have to arrest him if he did not leave voluntarily.

Cr Wines said he had lawfully directed Cr Cassidy to leave the chamber because he had done so under s186A of the City of Brisbane Act – and not under the Meetings Local Law which would have required a warning.

“I have a very, very low tolerance for swearing in the room,” he said.

“I have made a real effort to be generous and to have a really light touch and to allow people to say a lot of things that they haven’t been allowed to say in the past.

“That being said, I have some really clear things that a person can’t do – swearing is one.”