A Shellharbour City Council debate over a "potential discriminatory" reduction in representation on an Aboriginal committee descended into yet another spat between Labor and the mayor.
But this time there was someone different sitting in the mayoral chair.
With mayor Chris Homer absent, Deputy Mayor Kellie Marsh took the chair for the meeting, which got testy during a rescission motion lodged by Labor's Rob Petreski.
At the last council meeting, a motion was passed reducing the number of councillor representatives on the Aboriginal Advisory Committee from four to three.
Once a vote for the three committee spots was taken at the last meeting, incumbent Cr Petreski missed out.
As a result, he moved a rescission motion at Tuesday night's meeting to scrap the previous decision and restore the number of councillor representatives to four.
"I had to bring this to a rescission motion because I just couldn't see the logic in it," Cr Petreski said.
"I couldn't see the fairness in it. I couldn't see why this council would resolve to remove a position from the Aboriginal Advisory Committee."
He added that, of the 25 different committees of the council only the Aboriginal Advisory Committee had a cut in councillor representation.
"I think it's a poor decision," he said.
"I think it's potentially discriminatory, to be honest. To only have one committee with one position removed I don't think is very good, I don't think it's acting with integrity."
During the debate Cr Jacqui Graf called two points of order relating to "impugning improper motives of a councillor".
When Cr Marsh from the chair ruled Cr Petreski's time had expired he contested that.
He then asked Cr Marsh why she moved the motion in question at the last meeting.
"We're not playing verbal ping pong, Cr Petreski," Cr Marsh asked, before taking that question on notice.
Cr Maree Duffy Moon then asked the same question of Cr Marsh, which was again taken on notice, before questioning the decision to reduce councillor representation.
Very quickly the debate descended to the issue of what constituted a point of order.
"I thought that we weren't to interject unless there was a solid point of order," Cr Petreski said.
"I thought that we had five minutes to speak freely about what we wanted to speak about. If you don't like what I'm saying or another councillor doesn't like what I'm saying that's not a point of order."
From there Cr Marsh issued Cr Petreski with a formal warning.
And things got worse with testiness on both sides before Cr Marsh rose from her chair to silence Cr Petreski.
He then moved a motion of dissent in the chair, to which Cr Marsh said there had been no ruling made for him to dissent with.
"We're moving forward, no more interjections," Cr Marsh said.
It went to the vote and was tied 4-4, with Cr Marsh in the chair using her casting vote to vote down the rescission motion.
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Glen Humphries
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
