Mayor responds to paranoid claims - defends his staff
THE Parramatta Council saga worsens with more unsusbantiated leaked documents showing employees describing Lord Mayor Andrew Wilson as “paranoid and forgetful”. But Mr Wilson described his team as “extremely strong and loyal”.
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PARRAMATTA Lord Mayor Andrew Wilson described his team as “extremely strong and loyal” after a leaked report painted him as paranoid and forgetful.
Cr Wilson labelled the report a “sideshow”.
“I have an extremely strong and loyal team,” he said. “It’s very hurtful to some of the team to see this and I bear no ill-will towards anyone.”
Unsubstantiated statements which were obtained in the course of preparing the preliminary report contained allegations which paint a picture of an absent-minded mayor driving away allies through his paranoia.
“His forgetfulness is … quite bad,” a staff member said.
“He’ll say ‘why am I doing this’ and he has to be reminded. That happens a lot really.”
Another staff member said he “had no memory”.
“He forgets you have had a conversation the same day … or the Lord Mayor will have a terrible night’s sleep and then ark up and go on his paranoid rants again.”
The preliminary report into the mayor’s conduct towards employees was ordered by Parramatta Council chief executive Mark Stapleton.
The independent investigator, from FCB Workplace Law, said she was unable to substantiate any of the allegations against Cr Wilson because witnesses had withdrawn from the investigation process after making their initial statements.
In the statements council employees describe the office as being rife with paranoia.
“Only the paranoid survive — that’s his motto in politics,” one staff member claimed.
Another said the mayor would get “randomly paranoid, angry or frustrated” and become “unreasonable”.
“He’s up and down all the time like a roller coaster”.
His paranoia was sparked after Deputy Mayor Michelle Garrard got her hands on a letter heaping praise on NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian.
Staff members said they felt insulted and threatened by Cr Wilson after he accused them of leaking it.
“I think the Lord Mayor believed the other councillors were too stupid to follow up (on the letter) so assumed someone must have told them to follow up,” a staff member claimed.
The working environment at council was described as “horrific” and “tense” and the Lord Mayor as “grumpy” and “a moody bugger” who made inappropriate jokes and screamed at staff.
A staff member pointed to Cr Wilson’s assistant quitting within two weeks as an example of the toxic work environment.
“Things have been tense in the office since the Lord Mayor started,” the staff member said.
“Within two weeks, his executive assistant had gone off on leave … and then she didn’t come back.”
The staff member said her replacement also lasted just two weeks.
Another staff member claimed Cr Wilson felt powerless in the chamber and was acting like “the big man on campus” by controlling staff.
“He’s doing it to exercise power because he feels powerless in the council,” the staff member said.
Some staff members raised concerns his bad behaviour and habit of “saying random things” in speeches was reflecting poorly on the city.
But other staff members said most of his odd behaviour was reserved for behind closed doors.
“I have never seen him grumpy with a resident. Sometimes they make very derogatory comments but he keeps it in check really well,” a staff member said.
Staff said they felt sorry for Cr Wilson because he didn’t have a lot of support.
“He seems well meaning and wanting to make a fist of it but … he’s quite isolated on the council chamber. Even though he’s Lord Mayor he has very few friends/allies,” a staff member said.