A Whitsunday local and ex-Mayoral candidate interrupted the recent Whitsunday Regional Council Meeting to pose questions regarding misconduct findings against a senior Councillor.
During Council’s Questions from the Public Gallery in its Wednesday, March 22, meeting, Phil Batty stood to query Council on matters relating to Councillor Michael Brunker’s recent misconduct hearing.
Mr Batty had been denied the right to ask his questions in the regular forum, yet still stood during the allotted public question time to display his disagreement.
“I will stand at this stage, Mayor, and have my say,” Mr Batty said.
“You have shut me down four times and I’m going to continue speaking. You’ve let Councillor Brunker humiliate and vilify me at the last meeting and I won’t stand for it.”
Mr Batty’s comments refer to the March 8 meeting in which Councillor Brunker was fined $500 and asked to apologise after using Council assets during the Mayoral election campaign last year – the now-substantiated allegation of which was first brought to light by Mr Batty.
In his statement at that meeting, Councillor Brunker had, without referring to Mr Batty by name, alluded to the “failed mayoral candidate who has lodged this complaint”, saying he felt “embarrassed for him” – this is the “vilifying” Mr Batty alleges.
Mayor Julie Hall was quick to see Mr Batty leave the Council Meeting for his impertinence, telling him he had been refused his questions and that if he wished to pursue the matter further, to do so with State or Federal regulatory bodies.
“This matter has already been dealt with, and if you have any further issues, Mr Batty, it is an OIA [Office of the Independent Assessor] or CCC [Corruption and Crime Commission],” Mayor Hall said.
“Refer it to them.”
Mr Batty told this publication that he has reported Mayor Hall and Councillor Brunker to the OIA regarding his allegations of their breaching the Local Government Act.
Whitsunday Regional Council said the matter had already been dealt with and had no further comment.
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