Robert Doyle quits as lord mayor of Melbourne

Robert Doyle has quit as lord mayor of Melbourne, just days after he was handed the key findings of a council investigation into sexual harassment claims against him by multiple women.

He has also resigned his chairmanship of Melbourne Health.

On Sunday evening, Mr Doyle released statements from his wife, Emma Page Campbell and his lawyer, Nick Ruskin from K&L Gates, but did not speak publicly.

Mr Doyle was admitted to hospital on Saturday morning, after telling the council on Friday he was suffering from serious ill health, and the inquiry into sexual harassment allegations against him was extended.

Robert Doyle.Credit: Angela Wylie

Acting Lord Mayor Arron Wood told ABC host Jon Faine on Monday morning that Mr Doyle had called him from hospital on Sunday just before the news broke that he was resigning.

"He didn't sound good," Mr Wood said. "He didn't go into great detail, just to say things like high blood pressure ... and he'd been hospitalised as a result."

Mr Wood said that until a report by barrister Ian Freckelton, QC, was delivered he would not make any comment on the investigation itself.

But he was critical of media coverage: "To be frank I think that the public commentary - opening the paper or turning in the television each day - has been extremely difficult and probably unhelpful."

Former Melbourne city councillor Tessa Sullivan.

Melbourne councillors will meet on Tuesday for the first time this year to discuss the status of the investigation.

When Melbourne City Council formally informs the Victorian Electoral Commission and Local Government Minister Marlene Kairouz of Mr Doyle's resignation it will trigger a byelection for the position of lord mayor.

Asked if he would be a candidate Mr Wood said he had not had "the headspace" to consider it.

Mr Doyle has been on leave as lord mayor since mid-December, when fellow Team Doyle councillor Tessa Sullivan resigned after making explosive allegations that Mr Doyle had harassed and indecently assaulted her.

Allegations from other women, including fellow councillor Cathy Oke and photographer Dianne Mallas, followed.

A Melbourne City Council spokeswoman said the investigation led by Dr Freckelton, which was established in response to the allegations, would continue.

"We will progress the investigation as quickly as possible and ensure the facts become known to all parties," the spokeswoman said.

In her statement, Mr Doyle's wife, Page Campbell, said her husband had suffered "agony" in the seven weeks since he had stood aside.

She said she stood by her husband, and that the allegations made against him were "made in an environment in which guilt is presumed over innocence".

"It would seem that the court of public opinion, and what it will deem acceptable, can win out over natural justice," she said.

Mr Doyle's lawyer Mr Ruskin said in his statement that the former lord mayor felt the seven weeks since the allegations were made had "lacked any semblance of natural justice".

Mr Ruskin said the toll on the former lord mayor had been immense. And he said Mr Doyle would "not be making any further public comment".

Melbourne City Council will soon notify the Minister for Local Government, Marlene Kairouz, of Mr Doyle's resignation and will provide detail on the timing of a byelection once it is confirmed with the Victorian Electoral Commission.

Council chief executive Ben Rimmer will present the investigation's report and its findings to council "at the earliest available opportunity", he said in a statement today.

"Obviously there are many issues that are subject of current public debate that we cannot comment further on at this time, given the sensitive stage that the investigation process has reached and the rights and interests of all parties," Mr Rimmer said.

"However what I will say is that the investigation process commenced and was undertaken from a presumption of innocence, as it should," he said.

"The whole purpose of the investigation is to ascertain the facts of the allegations. I cannot control the behaviour of the parties or of the media."

Former councillor Stephen Mayne said it was incorrect for Mr Doyle to say the investigation process lacked natural justice.

"He has been given five days to respond to the draft report and he has been given all of the relevant material in good time," Mr Mayne said. "He has been given far more information than other witnesses."

Mr Mayne said Mr Doyle should have resigned when allegations were made by multiple women: "It's completely inappropriate for the office," he said.

After Ms Sullivan resigned, the council's chief executive Ben Rimmer hired Dr Freckelton to undertake an independent investigation into the allegations.

Ms Sullivan alleged Cr Doyle would allegedly compliment her, comment on her clothing, hug and kiss her, and display overt affection in a way that she felt was not appropriate in a workplace.

One councillor told Ms Sullivan that Cr Doyle had allegedly commented on Ms Sullivan's breasts, saying they had become smaller.

At least four women made sexual harassment allegations against the former lord mayor during the course of the investigation.

They included a woman who made an official complaint about Mr Doyle repeatedly touching her leg at a gala dinner, which prompted Victorian Health Minister Jill Hennessy to order a second investigation be undertaken by Charles Scerri, QC. That investigation is ongoing.

The woman told them Mr Doyle allegedly touched her repeatedly under the table on her upper thigh and made offensive remarks to her at a medical awards ceremony held by Melbourne Health in June 2016.

The lord mayor's alleged behaviour at the gala event made the woman feel so uncomfortable she alerted her partner (now husband), and swapped seats with him, investigators were told.

Melbourne photographer Dianne Mallas alleged Mr Doyle touched her inner thigh and brushed against her breasts in 1997 at his electorate office when he was the state MP for Malvern.

Other alleged victims approached Dr Freckelton's investigation with claims of inappropriate behaviour relating to Mr Doyle's time as a school teacher, opposition leader and chairman of Melbourne Health. The exact number is unknown.