THE future of City of Whittlesea Mayor Councillor Aidan McLindon is on the line after a motion to call for his resignation was tabled and voted on at last Tuesday night’s council meeting.
The move came after an unscheduled council meeting on February 4 brought attention to alleged breaches of the Model Code of Conduct on social media by Cr McLindon.
Cr McLindon had elected to stand in the Werribee by-election held on February 8, taking personal leave from council from January 23 to election day. He was unsuccessful in his bid to gain the seat, securing 270 votes in the by-election, or 0.64 per cent of the total votes cast.
While Cr McLindon had a democratic right to contest the by-election, the decision to do so weeks after being appointed as mayor, in addition to his alleged conduct on social media, led to a petition created by local Whittlesea resident Troy Steans asking for his resignation, which, as of February 24, had 1344 signatures.
Last Tuesday night, all 10 councillors voted unanimously to pass a vote of no confidence in Cr McLindon and to call for him to resign from his role as mayor.
The motion also directed that Deputy Mayor Daniela Zinni send the petition and a copy of the resolution to Victorian Minister for Local Government Nick Staikos for further information.
In moving the motion, Cr Martin Taylor acknowledged that it was a tough, yet necessary decision in his view.
“I stand before you to move this motion, not out of personal grievance, or political manoeuvring, but out of an unwavering commitment to integrity, accountability, and the trust that the people of City of Whittlesea has placed in us as their elected representatives,” he said.
“The position of mayor is one of great privilege and great responsibility. It is not simply a title, it is a role that demands leadership, transparency, and a solid commitment to upholding the values and expectations of our community.
“The mayor must be a figure of unity, not division; a beacon of trust, not controversy; and be an advocate for all councillors and residents, and not a perceived source of disharmony. The mayor must demonstrate ethical leadership and not bring disrepute to the council they lead. And when the office of mayor is called into question, the very credibility of the council they lead is at stake.
“This is why we must take a united stand. By passing this vote of no confidence, we send a clear message that the people of the City of Whittlesea deserve a mayor that they can trust, and one that has their best interests at heart, and that this council refuses to ignore alleged conduct that diminishes, in any way, public faith in its governance.
“Furthermore, I call upon Cr McLindon to immediately resign from the office of mayor. If the integrity of this council can be restored and if we are to rebuild public confidence, then the right cause of action is clear, and a fresh start is needed.
“This is not a decision I’ve taken lightly, but it’s a necessary one that the people of the City of Whittlesea expect and deserve from their elected representatives.”
Cr Jarrod Lappin seconded the motion.
“It’s my belief that the residents of the City of Whittlesea are looking to ensure they have a council that acts in their best interest and represents all members of our diverse community,” he said.
Cr Blair Colwell believed it was time for the City of Whittlesea Council to draw a ‘line in the sand’.
“We have a responsibility to the community, and to the collective of councillors to conduct ourselves in a professional, ethical, and courteous way,” he said.
“It’s unfortunate that we find ourselves here in this situation.
“I wanted to stress that this is not a battle of ideologies or beliefs, it is simply about drawing a line in the sand about what is appropriate behaviour, how we conduct ourselves in this institution.”
Cr Lawrie Cox stated action had to be taken due to the displeasure of the wider Whittlesea community.
“This is not a witch hunt, it’s not a campaign issue about the seat of Werribee, or whether Cr McLindon stood in the seat of Werribee,” he said.
“This is about the Whittlesea council, and it’s the reflection upon the Whittlesea council and the Whittlesea community.
“We’ve had a series of public questions; reading social media is a basket case; we have issues and behaviours that have been identified, and those matters have led to a conclusion for a mover out of the motion.”
Council will convene again tonight, with the consideration of the Draft Election Period Policy, Councillor Social Media Policy, and Councillor Communication Policy to be discussed.
