Mid-Western Regional Council has accepted an apology from Cr Peter Shelley for remarks made about Cr Percy Thompson in May.
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A Code of Conduct complaint made by Cr Thompson against Cr Shelley was discussed at Wednesday’s council meeting.
In a break from council’s usual practice, Cr Shelley moved that the matter be held in open council, allowing him to address the reviewer’s recommendations publicly.
Code of Conduct matters are usually heard in closed session.
Cr Shelley said while he had “strong reservations” about the reviewer’s report, he acknowledged that he had called Cr Thompson a “scumbag”.
Cr Shelley said he had immediately offered to apologise to avoid exposing council to the $8000 cost of resolving a Code of Conduct complaint, but Cr Thompson did not accept the apology.
Cr Shelley said Cr Thompson had commented that he wanted Cr Shelley “to suffer”.
But Cr Shelley said, as a former prison officer, “there was no way on the planet that anybody around this table has the ability to make me suffer”.
After discussing the complaint in closed session, council voted to require an apology and to accept the apology already extended by Cr Shelley.
