Enough, we all deserve better

OUR revelations about the actions of Geelong councillor Tony Ansett are deeply troubling.

It raises once again serious concerns about the conduct of individuals inside City Hall.

It raises questions about the values and standards inside City Hall, now and in the past.

How did it come to this, that the behaviour of a councillor forces him to be banned from a major developer in his own ward — the ward he is supposed to represent?

How is it possible that this same councillor can also be involved in several other abusive interactions in this community?

This community deserves better from an elected official.

It is not right for any citizen of this community to abuse another — elected or not.

We know that among the City of Greater Geelong councillors, there are good people who believe in treating others with respect.

They are people who would never, ever enter someone else’s workplace and abuse employees of that company. Such action would horrify them. But the actions of this councillor fairly or unfairly will reflect on all these councillors.

They will all take heat because of actions that none of them can — or would — defend.

But, one man’s actions, in concert with the bullying inside council and the ward allocations fiasco, once again speaks to a deepseated issue with the values and culture of this organisation.

And that the values and culture of this organisation are not those that the rest of us have.

Bad behaviour, wrong behaviour must be called out and stopped.

The Geelong Advertiser reported on the behaviour of Cr Ansett — like we did with bullying and the ward allocations fiasco — because we are not afraid to call out bad behaviour.

If we had turned a blind eye, taken the soft option and done nothing, we would be failing you, our community.