Stefano de Pieri pleads guilty over gender equality text messages to would-be council CEO

A Mildura councillor and popular chef “wasn’t thinking” when he told a potential chief executive to talk about gender equality if he wanted to get the top job.

Mildura councillor, chef, and Member of the Order of Australia Stefano de Pieri pleaded guilty to a charge of attempting to use his position as councillor to give an advantage to some applying for a job with the council.

A Mildura councillor and popular chef behind the hit Gondola on the Murray “wasn’t thinking” when he told a potential chief executive to talk about gender equality if he wanted to get the top job.

Stefano de Pieri — who earlier this year was made a member of the Order of Australia — on Tuesday pleaded guilty to a charge of attempting to use his position as councillor to give an advantage to some applying for a job with the organisation.

During the council’s hunt for a new chief executive, De Pieri sent a text to his preferred candidate Brett Millington telling to talk about gender equality in his interview immediately he had finished interviewing the other candidate.

Fellow councillor Helen Healey, however, saw the message exchange and told him to stop.

The pair then had a discussion with then-mayor Jason Modica which resulted in De Pieri removing himself from the chief executive selection process.

Mr Millington, who was chief executive of Mildura regional development at the time and is the current head of Sunraysia TAFE, hadn’t checked his phone so had no idea De Pieri had tried to give him a leg up.

De Pieri outside the Mildura Magistrates’ Court.

After interviewing Mr Millington, the councillors decided to terminate the recruitment process and start again as no suitable candidate had been found.

When De Pieri was interviewed in relation to trying to help Mr Millington get the job, the OAM recipient said he “wasn’t thinking”.

“I mean what can I tell you, it was a brain fart, it was just an act of stupidity,” he said.

De Pieri tried to explain his actions further saying that he just wanted Mr Millington to “shine”.

“I really strongly supported the appointment of someone local because of the grasp they have on this community. I know both candidates were local, and I was very keen for [Mr Millington] to shine,” he said.

Brett Millington had no idea De Pieri had tried to give him a leg up for the Mildura council chief executive position until he was told. Picture: Supplied

Defence lawyer Gavan Tellefson said it was not some grand scheme by De Pieri and was simply a spur-of-the-moment decision to help his preferred candidate.

“It’s been conceded by the prosecution that Mr Millington had no part in this, in other words, (there was) no conclusion, no plot, no agreement beforehand that he would be assisted by my client during this process, he wasn’t expecting a message and he had his phone turned off,” he told the court.

“My client’s actions were simply a spare-of-the-moment decision that was made and indeed achieved not much. Mr Millington didn’t see the message at any time and only looked at his phone after he was advised that the message had been sent.”

Mildura chef Stefano de Pieri. Picture: Instagram

Mr Tellefson said the chef and restaurant owner simply wanted Mildura to do well.

“The behaviour can’t be seen, in my submission, as anything else but altruistic,” he said.

“My client … has a passionate interest and passionate involvement in the advancement of this town, in this district and all it stands for.

“He’s come here and been successful and he’s turned that success into strident action for the benefit of the community.”

Mr Tellefson said he was providing no character references for De Pieri as “his character doesn’t need to be supported”.

“The most obvious reference is the fact that a couple of months ago the King saw fit to confer on him the title of Member of the Order of Australia,” he said.

De Pieri was given a good behaviour bond for three months and fined $1500. He was ordered to pay prosecution costs of $8500.

Magistrate Michael Coghlan cited the limited nature of the offending as well as De Pieri’s contributions to the community in his sentencing.

“Personally I do consider your actions at the lower end of the scale of what a councillor could do in breach of these sections of the legislation … you have brought a lot to this community as a restaurateur, no doubt in terms of tourism (and I) accept that you have made a lot of contribution to the Mildura community and its surroundings,” he said.