Liverpool City Council’s deputy mayor is calling for the mayor and another councillor to be suspended in a last-ditch attempt to save the “toxic” local authority from being placed into administration.
Long-time independent councillor Peter Harle, who has served as deputy mayor since October, was due to be re-elected as deputy by his colleagues at an extraordinary council meeting on Monday, but the meeting descended into such chaos with allegations of political backstabbing that he and Labor councillors stormed out in protest.
Harle now wants the Office of Local Government to suspend Liberal mayor Ned Mannoun and independent councillor Peter Ristevski, who during a council meeting called the mayor a “very dirty individual” and “despicable human being” and accused him of being a thief and criminal during the meeting, resurrecting allegations – unsubstantiated and denied – from more than a decade ago.
Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig is considering the findings of a public inquiry into the council.
Ristevski is also facing potential jail time after being charged with driving a car on a suspended licence – for at least the second time, an offence that if convicted carries a maximum penalty of up to 12 months in prison, or $5500.
“I didn’t realise my licence was suspended,” he said when contacted for comment, adding he was suspended over demerit points. He claimed he hadn’t been contacted with a letter about his coming suspension. He will face court on October 15.
Ristevski and Mannoun’s “antagonism” were causing chaos on the council, Harle said.
“We’ve got two antagonists, that is both the mayor and councillor Ristevski. Councillor Ristevski has put up codes of conduct [complaints] against [the mayor] and vice versa. All up, there are probably around 300-400 code of conduct [complaints] floating around. Those need to be sorted,” Harle said.
“To bring harmony back into the council system … I would suggest that the mayor and councillor Ristevski are suspended for the duration of the term of council, and sort that out.”
Ristevski and Mannoun found common ground in attacking Harle’s plan on Thursday. Ristevski said the deputy mayor had intentionally disrupted council proceedings by walking out of the chamber and accused him of falling asleep during meetings.
After initially declining to comment when contacted by phone, Mannoun then accused Harle of being a “racist 81-year-old man” and blasted the media for believing a “white old Anglo man [as] the bastion of truth” but presenting him as “the dodgy Muslim Leb, a liar”.
“This is how Sydney works, isn’t it? No matter what I do, I’m painted in a negative light.”
He cited his council’s success in attracting multiple universities to the local government area during his mayoralty, and making the area a better place for children.
To accusations of racism, Harle responded: “I’ve never said anything you could ever say was racist.”
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