Women Speak Tasmania group to file code of conduct complaint against Hobart councillor Holly Ewin

A women’s group says it will lodge a complaint with the Hobart City Council’s general manager over a councillor’s alleged breaches of the council’s code of conduct.

Women Speak Tasmania says it will file a code of conduct complant against Councillor Holly Ewin. Picture: EDDIE SAFARIK

A CODE of conduct complaint is expected to be filed against a new Hobart City councillor over posts on social media.

Women’s rights group Women Speak Tasmania say it will lodge a complaint against Cr Holly Ewin with Hobart City Council general manager Nick Heath in the “foreseeable future”.

The group has alleged Cr Ewin breached part 7 — “relationships with community, elected members and council employees” — and part 8 — “representation of council policies and decisions” — of the council code of conduct.

But Cr Ewin said she had spoken to Mr Heath and, as far as she was aware, she had no case to answer.

The dispute relates to several posts on Cr Ewin’s public Facebook page in which she used the word “Nazis” when referencing her feelings towards the Women Speak Tasmania group.

She also shared a mobile phone number of one of the group’s members.

there are a couple of exciting and v good things happening at tonight’s council meeting: Bill Harvey Cr City of Hobart...

Posted by Holly Ewin, Hobart City Councillor on Sunday, 19 May 2019

Women Speak Tasmania spokeswoman Isla MacGregor said she believed Cr Ewin had brought the name of the council into disrepute and been offensive to women and girls.

“The problem with Cr Ewin is now she’s an elected member that does not entitle her to use derogatory remarks to any person with different views to hers,” Ms MacGregor said.

“I hope that as a result of this formal code of conduct complaint Holly Ewin will come to understand she is not entitled to be abusive or a bully to any person in the community.

“She needs to be respectful and listen to other people’s points of view.”

Ms MacGregor said part 8 of the code required an elected member to show respect when expressing personal views publicly.

Cr Ewin said she would always keep advocating for what she believed in.

“It’s a difference of opinion between me and some people who claim to be feminists, but whose biological essentialism goes against every form of feminism I’ve ever heard,” she said.

“I just think it’s a bit sad, and wish they’d find the energy to pour it into other women’s issues — such as abortion access, gender pay equality and the increase in women’s homelessness.”

Cr Ewin has also called the group “terfs” — trans-exclusionary radical feminists — on Facebook.

Any person may lodge a code of conduct complaint against an elected member of the Hobart City Council. It currently costs $79.

[e-mail]