9 February 2022
Media: Local Democracy Reporter
Topic: Outcome of councillor Code of Conduct complaints process
Enquiry
I've spoken with Reynold Macpherson regarding the outcome of the latest code of conduct process and his resulting removal from committees. I have a couple of questions as well as some comments from him I would like to provide to the council and Steve for the right of reply if it/she wishes.
Audit and Risk Committee chairman Wallace Bain may also wish to respond to the below comment relating to him - I trust you can share it with him to give him that opportunity.
Please advise too if there is anything incorrect in what Reynold has said below.
Could you please get back to me on this query by 1.30pm tomorrow (February 9)?
If you could give me an early indication, too, on whether right of reply comment is to be expected, that would be much appreciated.
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QUESTIONS
- [for clarification] Will Cr Macpherson be allowed to attend (as a non-speaking non-voting observer) public-excluded parts of SPF and OM committee meetings?
- [for comment:]
- Why were forums relating to SPF and OM committees also included? They weren't part of the original council decision - is that decision at the discretion of the mayor?
- Are there any new code of conduct complaints against Cr Macpherson or any other councillors? If so please provide details.
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COMMENTS
Macpherson did not expect to be able to attend public-excluded parts of committee meetings, but believed he would still be included in public-excluded parts of full council meetings – something he said in his opinion “makes a nonsense of the sanctions”.
Macpherson said in his opinion including the committee’s confidential forums in the ban was “trickery … to impose secrecy” and an example of Chadwick’s “unreasonable overreach”.
Macpherson said he “told the truth” in the social media posts relating to the complaints and “didn’t do anything that remotely justifies an apology”.
He said this was evidenced by four councillors not supporting the decision to remove him from the committees, who he identified as Tania Tapsell, Sandra Kai Fong, Peter Bentley and Raj Kumar.
“As a matter of principle, I refuse to be bullied, blackmailed or intimidated by the mayor and her friends. They are trying to stop me from criticising them to stay in power. There is no point in me being on those committees if I am not allowed to freely express myself.”
He said he did not regret any of his actions.
"I have only engaged in normal political discourse which the current regime finds intolerable because it threatens their temporary grip on power. In my view, the whole process was a sham - a political hit job.”
He claimed the Audit and Risk chairman Wallace Bain “didn't even invite me to a meeting in November where they recommended that I be removed from these committees”.
“I provided detailed written responses to every complaint, none of which were taken into account by this committee. I notified all the elected members of all this before they made their decision.”
Response
The following response was provided:
Council and Mayor Chadwick have nothing further to add to the statements previously made in December and January on this matter. See statement from December HERE, and statement from January HERE.
Regarding the accuracy of the comments you’ve provided from Cr Macpherson, please note that at the Council meeting on 16 December 2021, Cr Tapsell did vote in favour of the recommendations from the Audit and Risk Committee, and Cr Bentley was not in attendance, so did not vote for or against the recommendations.
In response to your questions, DCE – District Leadership & Democracy, Oonagh Hopkins, has provided the following answers:
Will Cr Macpherson be allowed to attend (as a non-speaking non-voting observer) public-excluded parts of SPF and OM committee meetings?
No, as Cr Macpherson in no longer a member of either committee and only committee members are permitted to attend the public-excluded parts of meetings.
Why were forums relating to SPF and OM committees also included? They weren't part of the original council decision - is that decision at the discretion of the mayor?
Cr Macpherson has been removed from both committees following his failure to adhere to the Council sanctions set on 16 December 2021. Where a forum for either Committee is held, only committee members are permitted to attend.
Are there any new code of conduct complaints against Cr Macpherson or any other councillors? If so please provide details.
No further complaints have been received.