Julian Simmonds and Nicole Johnston most warned Brisbane councillors this financial year

A tight race has emerged between a high profile politician and a maverick local representative for the title of most troublesome councillor at City Hall.

Gable sculpture on City Hall in King George Square, Brisbane CBD on Wednesday, January 17, 2018. (AAP Image/Claudia Baxter)

A TIGHT race has emerged between a high profile politician and a maverick local representative for the title of most troublesome councillor at City Hall.

Cr Julian Simmonds (Walter Taylor) has received the most formal warnings during Brisbane City Council meetings for the financial year so far.

BRISBANE CITY COUNCIL STAFF INVESTIGATED

Analysis of the latest official meetings minutes available shows the LNP federal candidate for Ryan has eight formal warnings and one disorderly conduct order.

He has taken over the reigns from independent Cr Nicole Johnston, who had the most warnings in 2017/18 and is in second place this financial year.

She has five formal warnings and three disorderly conduct orders.

Last financial year neither Cr Simmonds nor any other LNP councillor were formally warned or received disorderly conduct orders.

LNP's new candidate for Ryan, Cr Julian Simmonds poses for a photograph at the Walter Taylor Bridge in Indooroopilly. Thursday May 17, 2018. (AAP image, John Gass)

Despite multiple attempts to contact Cr Simmonds, Westside News did not receive a response.

Cr Simmonds received his first disorderly conduct order on August 21, 2018, two months after he stepped down as City Planning chairman to focus on his campaign for the federal election.

It was three months after council chairwoman Angela Owen promised to remove herself from party meetings to stop any inference of bias and changes in the way meetings would be run.

Cr Simmonds has three more warnings than independent Cr Nicole Johnston (Tennyson).

She was the most warned councillor 2017/18, with seven warnings and nine disorderly conduct orders.

Cr Johnston said she had been “singled out” for the past eight years during council meetings.

“Finally, the chair has realised other councillors are doing the wrong thing and it’s not a surprise to me that in fact it’s an LNP councillor that’s been warned the most,” she said.

“What happened previously is unfair and this is catch up, long overdue catch up.”

Cr Nicole Johnston is the second most warned councillor so far this financial year.

Brisbane City Council chairwoman Angela Owen said the disorderly conduct of individual councillors and the circumstances related to it were “dealt with as they arise”.

“Where a Councillor’s behaviour is disorderly, councillors may be cautioned, warned, have their conduct noted in the minutes or the circumstances may result in the councillor being suspended,” she said.

“Anyone who attends these meetings can see that while council meetings are a place for robust political debate, it is the responsibility of all councillors to ensure their own behaviour is appropriate for this public forum,” she said.

She commended councillor for managing their own behaviour better, with fewer disorderly conduct orders issued recently, down from a total of 15 in 2017/18 to five so far this financial year.

She said most Councillors had taken on board the clear parameters she had set in 2018 for their behaviour in meetings.

Brisbane City Council Formal Warnings 2018/19

Julian Simmonds (LNP) 8

Nicole Johnston (IND) 5

Jared Cassidy (ALP) 1

Fiona King (LNP) 1

Peter Cumming (ALP) 1

Brisbane City Council Disorderly Conduct Orders 2018/19

Nicole Johnston (IND) 3

Julian Simmonds (LNP) 1

Kara Cook (ALP) 1