'Misogynistic bullying' at Shoalhaven City Council must stop, says Country Labor Councillor Annette Alldrick

That statement from Country Labor Councillor Annette Alldrick comes after four female councillors walked out of the council chambers over "derogatory" comments directed towards councillors and Mayor Amanda Findley during the ordinary meeting on March 2.

Cr Alldrick said this was an ongoing issue in the chamber and had to change.

"The meeting had run the way it always does, with a particular male councillor making constant derogatory comments about the mayor about everything," says Cr Alldrick.

"By the end of it, we were so sick of it that we just left. I've walked out once before for similar reasons and by the grace of God I haven't walked out more times.

"It's been going on the whole time I've been at council."

As well as Cr Alldrick, Independent Cr Nina Di Digiglio, Independent Cr Joanna Gash and Greens Cr Kaye Gartner walked out of the meeting on Tuesday evening.

Councillors were debating a motion raised by Cr Greg Watson.

When Cr Watson said "if anyone behaves like Cr Gartner over there, after being in Queensland for the last 12 months", the four councillors left the room.

He repeated "I'm not finished" a number of times as they were leaving.

Cr Alldrick said she sometimes felt "threatened and very uncomfortable" by the behaviour.

"One councillor actually changed her seat to sit in a seat where she felt more comfortable away from a male councillor. Had I been in that position, I would have been doing the same thing," Cr Alldrick said.

"They might say they can't help it if they've got a loud voice, but they need to recognise it's yelling and it's overbearing."

Cr Gash labelled Cr Watson's behaviour as "inflammatory" and said it was the first time she had walked out of a council meeting.

"I've had five years with Wingecarribee Council, 17 years as the federal member for Gilmore, and nine years on this council, and I have never, ever walked out on a council meeting before," said Cr Gash.

"I'm pretty thick skinned, but when it comes down to attacking your credibility, then we have to stand up for ourselves."

Cr Alldrick said it was a "shame" to see councillors behave in such a manner and said it might deter women from a career in politics.

"It's such a shame because for women looking at entering politics at all levels, we need to stop this," said Cr Alldrick.

"I've got a 22-year-old daughter...I would hate to see her put off in the future if she decides that's what she wants to do, because it is actually a great position to make change in the community."

Cr Alldrick said "a big change is needed" to address the behaviour.

"I know there have been code of conduct complaints that have been put forward," said Cr Alldrick.

"But I think the only thing that will fix it is for the makeup of council to change. I think voters need to take this seriously.

"They need to look at what has been happening in council through the videos of council meetings to see the behaviour that is happening so they can make an informed decision about who they're voting for."

Cr Watson maintains that in the meeting, he did not raise his voice.

"I don't raise my voice, I'm always very subdued in what I say unless something is very offensive," said Cr Watson.

"I can't be accused of being overbearing because they were the ones who were totally out of control and hurling abuse because they didn't like the debate."

Asked whether there was an ongoing issue of misogyny in council he said: "I've had a lot of feedback from some of the Greens associates and that's their election campaign.

"They're trying to make out the male councillors aren't even-handed. But we are even-handed. Now there's an old story. If it's too hot in the kitchen, you shouldn't be in there.

"And for some reason or other, they seem to think they should be able to get away with saying and doing anything. But we're not even allowed to indulge in vigorous debate."

Cr Mitchell Pakes said he is disappointed Cr Annette Alldrick made what he claims were baseless accusations of misogynistic bullying in Shoalhaven council.

Shoalhaven Independents Cr Pakes, chairperson of the Development and Environment Committee, said it was actually Cr Alldrick who caused a lot of the issues at the Tuesday, March 2 meeting which ended with four female councillors leaving in protest of comments made by Shoalhaven Independents Cr Greg Watson.

Cr Pakes said: "I'm not really sure what triggered the walkout to be completely honest.

"What I am a little bit disappointed in, as the chair of that committee, is on three separate occasions throughout that meeting, I had to ask Cr Alldrick to withdraw some very rude, very derogatory comments that she made about other councillors, including Cr Proudfoot.

"On two occasions, Cr Alldrick agreed to withdraw those comments and on the third occasion, she didn't. When I cautioned her about her comments she then withdrew those comments," he said.

He encouraged members of the community to view the recording of the meeting and make up their own mind.

"I'm not going to repeat those comments because they were not very nice the way they were said and also the content of them," he said.

Cr Alldrick's comments were unintelligible on council meeting audio although her third comment withdrawal was in regards to claims of vote stacking by Shoalhaven Independents.

Independent Cr Joanna Gash was the first to leave the meeting after Cr Watson "had a go at Cr Gartner for being in Brisbane for the last 12 months," she said.

Cr Gash said Cr Gartner was stuck in Brisbane mainly due to COVID.

Cr Gash said: "[Cr Watson] never mentioned that Cr Guile hasn't lived in this area for over four years."

She said the issue for her was that she had to vote on an urgency motion about a COVID-19 refund policy that she had not seen.

"I'm just concerned that Cr Pakes wouldn't allow my point of order to be heard but he allowed all of Cr Watson's points of orders to be heard and he over spoke on everybody.

"Let's be fair and stop attacking people personally.

"I've been a seasoned politician for many years and I've never walked out. But when my credibility is questioned then I will fight back," she said.

Cr Pakes said: "All my network are women, my boss, a lot of my staff, my wife, my daughter, my mum and my nanna. Eighty per cent of the people around me are strong passionate women and it's very disappointing this issue has risen its head today on International Women's Day.

"It should be a day of celebration, not a day to be slinging allegations that completely aren't true because I think it undermines the whole process where people make these allegations."

"The fact of the matter was Cr Alldrick played on her phone for probably 80 per cent of that meeting. On three of four separate occasions I had to call Cr Alldrick a few times on which way she was voting because she wasn't concentrating on the point of business. Then she made these comments across the chair to other councillors, then stormed out and claimed that she was bullied," he said.

Cr Alldrick has been contacted for further comment.

- Liam Cormican

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