Final Mount Isa City Council meeting erupts following mayor's allegations

During an ordinary council meeting on February 28, Cr Slade took the opportunity in her mayoral minute to address how she felt during her first term as mayor, making serious allegations of alleged sexism, harassment, verbal abuse, defamation, bullying, intimidation and stalking.

Cr Slade said she was compelled to share her experience as a councillor in the final meeting, after allegedly feeling "unsafe" during her time as mayor.

"I have endured an ordeal that no one should ever have to face... Shockingly, there is zero protections for councillors who are subjected to genuine bullying, targeting, ridicule, stalking, and harassment under the current system, as councillors are not recognised as employees, they are deprived of the safeguards provided by work cover and industrial relations. This leaves individuals like me in the position of either resorting to the Crime Corruption Commission or even the police.

"Many of the tactics and actions deployed against me are carefully executed without witnesses, making at times, incredibly difficult to substantiate the claims...

"The individuals responsible for these tactics are not angry community members, but rather my own councillors, as well as certain staff who align with them."

During Cr Slade's mayoral minute deputy mayor Phil Barwick moved to suspend the meeting, however it was not acknowledged.

Cr Slade continued also calling out former chief executive officer David Keenan for alleged stalking and harassment, stating he had allegedly asked staff to record her movements.

"The harassment by David Keenan was such, that a member of the LGAQ likened it to a domestic violence situation, only this was Workplace Violence," she said.

"At one point, I had to tell my husband that I was convinced that I was going to be struck and although this was horrendous, it would be the end of a long, long session of abuse and I would be able to lodge a complaint with the police.

"I was not only being stalked and harassed by the CEO, I was also being harassed and bullied by councillors and staff who thought they were being protected by the councillors."

Despite the allegations, Cr Slade has nominated as a mayoral candidate in the upcoming local government election, concluding she made it through this term by remembering she was Mount Isa's voice.

At the end of the 10 minute, mayoral minute, Cr Barwick requested to be placed on record that a number of untruths and unsubstantiated allegations were contained in the mayoral minute and he wished to publicly deny the allegations.

Cr Barwick offered councillors to also have a say, however Cr Slade spoke over councillors to move the meeting onto the next item on the agenda.

Councillor Mick Tully stated "this is a joke" before Cr Slade told him to "keep calm or I'll ask you to leave".

"I am happy to leave, happy to leave," Cr Tully responded, before a member of the public gallery, the mayor's husband, told Cr Tully to "go".

Cr Slade told Cr Tully to stop interacting with the public gallery as acting CEO Tim Rose stepped in to take control of the meeting stating "you cannot comment from the public gallery".

After the meeting, North Queensland Register spoke with outgoing councillor Mick Tully who said he was disappointed that Cr Slade used the mayoral minute to run down the council and it could have serious implications for Mount Isa.

"It was atrocious the way she used the mayoral minute to blindside all of us and had her opportunity to destroy any credibility that council had.

"If any CEO or upper management person would have seen that yesterday, so it will be virtually impossible to get someone to come to Mount Isa regardless of who the mayor is because that's Mount Isa's reputation damaged from that meeting and that is astronomical."

Cr Tully said he hoped Cr Slade was not voted back in because "she is not a leader".

"She talks about transparency and pulling together and that is grandstanding to a tee. She gets up and says all these allegations and probably 95 per cent of those were untrue, just malicious and fictitious allegations against councillors, CEOs, employees," he said.

"David was a valuable asset to Mount Isa... he did a bunch of very good things. It stands to reason, there have been four CEOs in the last four years, which I think speaks for itself and the environment that is created from the mayor and down.

"It is the perfect example of a narcissist trying to run-down everyone else. She should have used that minute to build clarity around what we have done, Gallipoli Park, Centenary Place, the pound upgrades, the smart meters, all those things that council has achieved over the last four years."

When the North Queensland Register contacted Mount Isa City Council to see if a follow up investigation will occur from the alleged allegations made during the mayoral minute, council said "this matter is between councillors, and doesn't involve the council organisation itself."

Local Government Association of Queensland was also contacted. Chief executive officer Alison Smith stated "the LGAQ is the peak body for councils, and we provide support and advice to councils when requested."

Former CEO David Keenan has also been contacted for comment but did not respond by deadline.