Cr Grace fails to apologise for ‘sexist’, ‘threatening’ remarks, absent from Council meeting
A Kingborough councillor’s no show at a meeting where he was due to apologise for physically threatening a colleague is cause for “great disappointment”, Mayor Dean Winter says. LATEST >>>
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A COUNCILLOR’S no show at a meeting where he was due to apologise for physically threatening a fellow Kingborough councillor has caused “great disappointment”, Mayor Dean Winter has said.
Cr David Grace was found to breach the Councillors Code of Conduct in a workshop in November when he made remarks about needing a “male IT man” to fix a tech issue, and subsequently told Cr Paula Wriedt “I will put you on your tail” when she confronted the sexist tone of his remarks.
Part of the outlined reparations for his behaviour included undertaking six hours of anger management counselling, and apologising at tonight’s Kingborough Council meeting.
But Cr Winter was shocked to see Cr Grace’s chair empty without warning.
“As of this afternoon I haven’t received an apology from Cr David Grace and I haven’t heard from him,” Cr Winter said at the meeting.
“To the contrary there is someone in the gallery who appears to be aware of his whereabouts but he hasn’t advised council formally that he isn’t arriving tonight which is to my great disappointment.”
Cr Wriedt said during her long political career she developed a “thick skin” to cope with sexist remarks, but had never been physically threatened until the face off with Cr Grace.
“Those in this room will know that I have often stood up against sexist language,” she said at the meeting.
“I wasn’t prepared for the aggressive response, disruptive behaviour and then being threatened with physical violence.
“It caught me totally off guard and was a disproportionate response to my plea not to use that sort of language.”
Cr Wriedt thanked the Code of Conduct panel for upholding her submitted breaches, and her fellow Councillors for offering support.
She said the incident had left her feeling unsafe.
“I have walked on eggshells during debates, waiting for another angry outburst, and a fellow Councillor has indicated feeling the same,” Cr Wriedt said.
“If Cr Grace was here I would say this: Threatening me was not okay. You made me feel unsafe. Please think about how you use your words, think about how damaging they can be; and finally, please learn from this.”
Deputy Mayor Jo Westwood said Cr Grace had previously shown “no remorse” over his comments and her sentiments that he should have been suspended were echoed by several councillors.
“We hold our children to higher account – they will be removed (from the classroom) for a period of time,” she said.
“Athletes are banned from matches and certainly in this instance a councillor … who uses their voice in such a way should also be removed.”
Cr Flora Fox emotionally shared an instance years prior when a motion was carried to halve her wages “simply because I was a woman”, and she received no support when she attempted to move a countermotion.
She and others were united in calling for the Code of Conduct to be strengthened to hand down harsher penalties.
Cr Winter said if he was no longer Mayor at the next meeting, he would show up in the gallery to watch Cr Grace apologise.
Cr Winter had “begged” Cr Grace to apologise on numerous occasions.
A public question without notice was submitted to provide a medical certificate on Cr Grace’s behalf saying he was unable to attend because of a “long history” of a medical condition and would apologise at the next session.
Cr Winter interrupted to say he was “highly sceptical” at the excuse provided as he had spoken to Cr Grace earlier that day.
EARLIER:
May 3, 2.15pm
Kingborough Councillor David Grace required to apologise to Cr Paula Wriedt for threatening to “put you on your tail”
A COALITION of Kingborough councillors have condemned the “completely unacceptable” actions of one of their colleagues and called for the strengthening of the state’s code of conduct process.
A code of conduct determination report will be tabled at the Kingborough Council meeting on Monday night.
As reported by the Mercury on Saturday, a panel has upheld a complaint made by Cr Paula Wriedt against Cr David Grace and will require him to apologise for the threat he made against her and to the council for causing embarrassment.
Cr Grace must also do at least six hours’ counselling in anger management and appropriate workplace behaviour. The complaint arose from his behaviour at a council workshop in November 2020.
Cr Wriedt alleged he had made comments about a female council staff member working on a livestream needing help from a “male IT man”, which Cr Wriedt found sexist and outdated.
She then said Cr Grace became “highly animated”, was warned about his behaviour by Mayor Dean Winter and then turned to Cr Wriedt and said, “I will put you on your tail”.
Seven councillors – Dean Winter, Jo Westwood, Sue Bastone, Gideon Cordover, Amanda Midgely, Christian Street and Steve Wass – released a statement about the incident on Saturday.
“On November 2, 2020, Cr David Grace threatened our colleague with physical violence in our workplace, the Kingborough Council Chambers,” the statement said.
“Consequently, Cr Paula Wriedt felt concerned enough for her safety to ask to be escorted to the council carpark after the workshop and has felt unsafe within the council chambers since.
The code of conduct panel found Cr David Grace guilty of numerous breaches of the code. We condemn in the strongest possible terms the actions of Cr Grace that lead to the breaches.”
The statement said everyone had the right to feel safe within their workplace, but Cr Wriedt had been denied that.
“Cr Grace’s behaviour was completely unacceptable – we are disappointed the code of conduct panel did not use the more serious sanctions available to it under the Act,” the councillors said.
“We support our colleague, Cr Paula Wriedt, and urge whichever government is formed after
Saturday’s state election to finally review the code of conduct panel and its process, which the local government sector no longer has confidence in.”
Cr Grace did not wish to comment.
A motion to review workplace culture across all local councils will be presented at an upcoming meeting.
The call for a review into the safety of elected members – particularly women – has so far been signed by 40 local government representatives from 16 councils across the state.
The next Local Government Association of Tasmania meeting will debate the motion “that LGAT calls on the state government to commission Equal Opportunity Tasmania to undertake a review of the workplace health and safety of the Local Government sector for elected representatives.”
Kingborough Councillor David Grace required to apologise
A KINGBOROUGH Councillor’s “appalling, sexist and threatening” behaviour towards his colleague will require him to formally apologise and undertake anger management counselling.
A code of conduct determination report will be tabled at the Kingborough Council meeting on Monday night.
A panel has upheld a complaint made by Cr Paula Wriedt against Cr David Grace and will require him to apologise for the threat he made against her and to the council for causing embarrassment.
He must also do at least six hours’ counselling in anger management and appropriate workplace behaviour.
The complaint arose from Cr Grace’s behaviour at a council workshop in November 2020.
Cr Wriedt alleged Cr Grace made comments about a female council staff member working on a livestream needing help from a “male IT man,” which Cr Wriedt found sexist and outdated.
She then said Cr Grace became “highly animated,” was warned about his behaviour by Mayor Dean Winter and then turned to Cr Wriedt and said “I will put you on your tail."
Councillors Wriedt, Winter, Christian Street and Amanda Midgley all gave evidence Cr Grace had said words to that effect.
Cr Wriedt told the panel she had felt uncomfortable in Cr Grace’s presence ever since and felt unsafe within the council chambers.
“Cr Wriedt gave evidence that she was ‘really unsettled’ by the threat and it was the first time in 25 years in public life that she had been threatened by a colleague,” the report said.
In his evidence, Cr Grace said he would not have used those words as he “did not typically use that sort of language,” but did not deny he may have said that or made a similar threat.
“The panel determines it was appropriate for Cr Wriedt to draw Cr Grace’s attention to the fact that many people would consider his remark to have been sexist and in her view it was no longer acceptable to assume that a woman would need a man to help her with IT issues.
“Cr Grace maintained in the hearing that he did not understand the correct meaning of the world ‘sexist’ and thought that he was being accused of ‘groping women’ or other predatory sexual behaviour,” the report said.
“Cr Grace’s case was he had little formal education and used ‘working man’s language.”
The panel said Cr Grace had subsequently agreed to undertake training to improve his performance as a councillor, but insisted other elected members “avoid saying anything which could provoke him.”
“Cr Grace has shown some regret the incident occurred, he has not shown any remorse, nor has he exhibited any understanding of his own responsibility for his behaviour,” the report said.
“He presented himself as a victim, with the right to give way to outbursts of anger if other councillors disagree with him.
“To threaten a colleague is appalling and requires denunciation.”
Cr Grace must apologise at the next meeting Cr Wriedt is present at and complete the anger management training within six months.
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