The New South Wales government has announced the suspension of Snowy Mountains councillor Andrew Thaler, citing misconduct and ordering him to apologize for alleged offensive and intimidating behaviour. Thaler will be suspended without pay for three months from May 14.
The Office of Local Government signed the suspension orders, which include a stern directive for Thaler to apologise to those affected by his actions. The orders, signed by deputy secretary Brett Whitworth, highlight the department’s view that Thaler’s conduct has been unacceptable.
The suspension follows the release of a departmental report that investigated Thaler’s behaviour since he joined the Snowy Monaro Regional Council. The report references social media comments made in videos published on March 5 and 6, as well as a post shared on March 14.
The orders state the decision was made because Thaler showed a “lack of remorse or contrition” for his actions and because his statements caused harm to those targeted. During a video streamed on March 5 that lasted nearly an hour, Thaler questioned the gender of a council worker, stating, “if you don’t know what you are, you’ve got a problem with your life.” In the same video, he also insulted the appearance of a fellow councillor.
Thaler continued to criticize the council’s conduct standards, claiming that his actions represented the “eleventh-twelfth code of conduct” breach. The department’s disciplinary action underscores concerns over social media behaviour and the importance of respectful conduct among public officials.
+ There are no comments
Add yours