THERE is a line in public life that should never be crossed.
If recent allegations raised by Redland City Mayor Jos Mitchell are substantiated, then that line has not just been crossed, it has been obliterated.
Claims of behaviour described as “rude, disrespectful, belittling, threatening, intimidating, bullying and harassing” have no place in any workplace, let alone in the arenas where decisions affecting entire communities are made.
No mayor, no elected representative, no individual should be subjected to that kind of treatment.
At Local Redland Bayside News, we stand with the Mayor in calling out this toxic behaviour.
If what has been alleged is proven, some of this conduct moves beyond poor behaviour and into territory that could reasonably be described as bordering on criminal.
But serious allegations demand serious scrutiny.
The Mayor responded to our enquiry last week but did not specify the circumstances of the alleged behaviour or which meeting she referenced but said it “did not involve Council.”
She advised that she was unable to comment on active complaints.
“I have started a project, in my own time, to encourage improvement in behaviour within the realm of politics,” she said.
“Since coming into this role, I have experienced conduct that would simply not be acceptable or tolerated under any other job function.
“Many excuse poor behaviour in this realm by calling it “politics”.
“However, there is a difference between politics and behaviour that is rude, disrespectful, belittling, threatening, intimidating, bullying and harassing.”
There were no Redland City Council meetings held on the day referenced by the Mayor (Monday, April 27).
It is known, however, that the Mayor was involved in a meeting in Redlands that day with the State Cabinet – but she has declined to confirm if that was the meeting referenced in her Facebook post.
When allegations are this serious – possibly involving intimidation, harassment and threats – they must be tested transparently and independently.
Not through social media posts or competing online accounts, but through a process that establishes the facts clearly and credibly.
For that reason, we are calling on the Mayor to lodge a formal complaint to ensure these allegations are subject to a full and independent investigation.
The Mayor rightly says substandard behaviour is too often excused as just “politics”.
She is correct and that culture must be challenged.
But equally, claims of misconduct must meet the same standard.
They must be capable of being examined, verified and, where necessary, acted upon.
We would hope, and expect, that Mayor Mitchell would be a willing and active participant in any such inquiry given the seriousness of her claims.
Ultimately, this is bigger than one meeting or one account.
It is about trust in our institutions.
