Councillors Peter Shelley and Percy Thompson were caught up in a clash of the titans following a recent council meeting that tested tempers and pitted the two outspoken councillors against each other.
Each councillor cricised the other’s unrestrained behaviour in the meeting.
Cr Thompson said Cr Shelley displayed a lack of respect for the mayor and councillors, evidenced when Cr Shelley did not stand through a minute of silence for former Parkes mayor Robert Wilson.
Cr Shelley said Cr Thompson was an embarrassment and was turning council meetings into a joke by making inappropriate comments and getting worked up and raising his voice over particular issues.
Today, the councillors speak again.
Cr Peter Shelley
“If I believed Thompson was honest and put the community first, in his role as a councillor, he would have no problems with me whatsoever,” Cr Shelley said.
“It’s pretty obvious to all that the problem will continue until he changes his attitude.
“Others may find his behaviour acceptable, but I do not.
“As to Thompson’s assertion that when we had a minute’s silence for the former mayor of Parkes and I sat down that is was the rudest thing he has seen in local government: I did sit back down after I rose to observe the minute’s silence, but as my back was playing up, I had to.
“I apologised and explained why to the councillors present at the time.
“There was not a problem then and the only reason Thompson raised it now was to attack me out of context and has no bearing with the issue at the last council meeting.
“I clearly stated that I was defending Cr Thompson when I was asked about his IQ. Thompson however ignored this and acted again with offensive and unacceptable behaviour.
“If I have insulted and had ‘stand up’ arguments with all the councillors then it must have happened when I was not in the room.
“Thompson’s claim is a fabrication and designed to destabilise the council for his own benefit.
“I certainly respect the position of Mayor and it’s a shame it’s being tarnished by Thompson and his continual misleading rhetoric and petty paybacks.
“Individually, respect is earned, not brought in a chook raffle.
“Thankfully, I have a good working relationship with staff and the majority of councillors and will continue to work effectively for the betterment of our community despite Thompson and his lack of ability to inspire confidence and leadership to council.”
Cr Percy Thompson
Cr Percy Thompson said he didn’t want to continue a “slanging match” with Cr Shelley.
“That’s only bringing the council into more disrepute,” he said.
He said Cr Shelley refused to stand for the minute’s silence because Cr Thompson hadn’t mentioned the recent death in Rylstone not because Cr Shelley had a bad back, and said Cr Shelley had obviously been able to stand when required at several later points in the meeting.
“I don’t muck around with people who tell lies all the time,” Cr Thompson said.
“I believe that Peter’s behaviour that night, and some of his antics since, all come down to the fact that he didn’t get the mayor’s job.”
Cr Thompson said in the past he had experienced losses and wins, but said it was important for the players to support the team whether they were chosen as captain or not.
“You can either continue to be a team player, or you can undermine the team,” Cr Thompson said.
He said many who regularly attended council meetings had complimented him on the way he chaired them, and he didn’t believe any other councillor could do a better job.
Referring to Cr Shelley’s earlier claims that council had neglected the region’s smaller towns and centred all major works on Mudgee, Cr Thompson listed projects in Rylstone, Kandos and Gulgong, which he said represented only a fraction of council’s work in these towns.
He said 28 per cent of the recent government stimulus package funding was devoted to the small towns housing 17 per cent of the region’s population, demonstrating council’s commitment to these areas.
As well as the multi-million dollar water and sewer upgrades for Charbon, Clandulla, Rylstone and Kandos, he catalogued a number of smaller works including parks, sports fields, and community facilities.
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