Biddle Continues To Feel Let Down By Council

Deputy Mayor Toni Biddle feels her reputation has been put at risk as a result of the ‘leaked’ Code of Conduct complaint.

However, at today’s Performance, Policy and Partnership committee, she failed to get enough support for the issue to be brought into the public session.

Biddle also tried to move that the issue be dealt with between herself, the chief executive and a mediator, to save ratepayer money, but that motion was also lost.

A full code of conduct complaint could cost ratepayers up to $9000 using an independent investigator, as it did for the one in 2019 between councillor Lesley Soper and Mayor Tim Shadbolt.

Biddle learned about the complaint from the media on Saturday, and was disappointed that nobody had let her know that it was on today’s agenda.

She believed that was a breach of standing orders around natural justice, and felt she had the right to know she was being investigated.

“This complaint is now public, is a serious code of conduct issue, and I take it very seriously because of the effect on my career, and my ability to stand as an elected member,” she said.

Last week there were concerns raised at an Infrastructural and Services committee meeting, from some councillors, about note passing between chief executive Clare Hadley and chairperson Ian Pottinger – because it was distracting.

Once the code of conduct complaint was lodged, it is understood one of the councillors then leaked it to the media – but nobody was saying boo at the meeting.

Biddle felt that the council had failed to protect her, because the ‘leak’ was a breach of standing orders, but committee chair Darren Ludlow argued the council couldn’t be accountable for every councillor’s actions.

He said there were issues with the complaint being held in the public session because of the privacy of all the parties involved.

“I struggle with council as an organisation being held accountable for the leak, but I agree that it was inappropriate and insensitive,” he said.

The committee agreed to adjourn the item until the next meeting in a month to give all parties time to seek appropriate advice.

When asked to comment about the issue being adjourned after the meeting, Biddle said she was happy and it told her a lot.

She declined to elaborate.