They are supposed to be on the same team, but the bitter differences between Shellharbour's ALP councillors were yesterday revealed as a major force in the council's downfall.
The role of caucusing in local government decisions came under the microscope on the fourth day of the NSW Government's public inquiry into Shellharbour City Council.
Councillors told of being forced to vote along party lines on matters they were opposed to, such as the council's unprecedented court action against two independent councillors accused of leaking information to a website.
Councillor Don Briggs said he approached ALP head office, the Department of Local Government and the local government minister in December to try to convince Mayor David Hamilton to vote in Caucus to drop the court case in December, without success.
Meanwhile, Cr Briggs is the subject of a seven-point complaint to party headquarters from the Mayor.
Cr Briggs did not bother to conceal the council's deep rift, calling the Mayor's chairing of meetings "bloody awful", but when Deputy Mayor Michele Greig took the stand, she attempted to show a more united front.
Her soured relationship with general manager Brian Weir and her power struggle with the Mayor are well known. Yet Cr Greig remained diplomatic.
Commissioner Richard Colley also grilled Cr Greig on why it was appropriate for her and a group of councillors to insist on giving its waste contract to the incumbent, rather than following the staff advice to award the contract to the cheapest tenderer.
"The lower price is not necessarily the best option for the community," she said.
Much has been made this week of the inexperience of Shellharbour councillors.
However, of the three councillors to take the stand yesterday, only Cr John Leedham was in his first term. Cr Greig is in her second term and Cr Briggs has 13 years' experience.
The Labor-led council and its Caucus was split along factional lines, four against four, explained Cr Briggs.
The city was effectively controlled by just four councillors, as the Mayor had a casting vote as the Caucus chair, meaning the "Right faction" usually lost.
But what was and wasn't caucused remained unclear. Cr Briggs confidently told counsel assisting the inquiry, Daniel Meltz, they caucused tenders, leases, planning documents, the proposed health precinct at Albion Park, the Dunmore equestrian centre proposal, the general manager's reappointment and legal action.
However, Cr Greig said they did not caucus on development applications. She was asked then if she checked the minutes from Caucus meetings.
Yes, she said.
Cr Hamilton has previously told the Mercury he is a member of the ALP right and the council is not split along factional lines.
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