• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Latest News
  • Elections
  • LPP Decisions
  • Advisory Committees
  • Facebook

Council Watch

Watching Central Coast Council on behalf of fair-minded and reasonable people.

Central Coast Council Watch

Councillor calls out disrespectful and disruptive behaviour

July 26, 2018 by Merilyn Vale

Cr Chris Holstein used a debate about whaling at the July 23 council meeting to call out the behaviour of another councillor.

He accused the councillor of grandstanding and putting up farcical motions designed to suck the oxygen out of the chamber.

His remarks got the gallery going, with a couple of onlookers hurling abuse aimed at the same councillor.

The Mayor, Jane Smith, cautioned the gallery to remain quiet.

Cr Holstein said he had disagreed with countless councillors in 25 years of local government but there had always been a level of respect.

Cr Holstein never named the councillor. But he criticised a number of previous notices of motions – all put forward by Cr Greg Best.

“In the  300 days of this council, this council has been subjected to a number of motions about a range of platitudes, blowing smoke, some would say,’’ he said.

Cr Best interrupted with a point of order, saying: “this hysterical history lesson” was not the matter of the debate.

Cr Holstein said it was not hysterical but fact; that motions put up previously were designed to draw out the meetings and disrupt the council.

Cr Holstein questioned the  intent of Cr Best’s latest one on whaling.

Cr Best said it was pathetic that others picked on him just because he was prepared to raise the hard issues.

Cr Kyle MacGregor and Cr Louise Greenaway supported Cr Holstein’s words.

Cr MacGregor said there was a pattern of behaviour over nine months and it was getting worse. He said Cr Best was not using appropriate ways of speaking in the chamber and it was getting out of hand.

Cr Greenaway said she wanted to support the “unexpected but excellent words” of Cr Holstein.

The rest of the councillors remained quiet on the behaviour except Cr Troy Marquart.

He said he could appreciate some of the frustrations in the room and perhaps Cr Best was being “smarter by half”  but nevertheless he supported his whale motion.

In the end, the whale motion was amended. The Mayor put up some words to say the council would express its views by writing to Federal Government MPs.

Cr Best had wanted to use the Central Coast’s sister city relationship with Edogawa to get a message to the Japanese Government.

His timing was questioned as Edogawa students are on the Central Coast at the moment.

To see the whole debate, via the livestream coverage of the meeting, go to the YouTube  link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxyUsWqezlE

The whaling issue starts with the first guest speaker at 7:15pm.

The words from Cr Holstein start at 7.30:45pm or 1:09:5 minutes into the meeting and again at 7:51:10.

Cr Best left the room during the second speech from Cr Holstein. The issue finishes at 755pm or at the 1:32 mark.

Climate change sceptic

Other highlights of the night included Cr Rebecca Gale Collins declaring she was a climate change sceptic.  You can see that at 7.02pm or at the 39:48 mark of the video.
Earlier, Cr Marquart said he had doubts over some of the science and the scare tactics.
The two had spoken during debate on the direction of the proposed climate change policy the council is in the process of drafting.

 

Filed Under: How they voted, Latest News

Primary Sidebar

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Council Meetings

MacMasters Beach temporary coastal protection back on agenda

May 26, 2025 By Merilyn Vale

Helicopter business goes to Melbourne

May 25, 2025 By Merilyn Vale

Councillors call on Premier to declare an emergency

May 7, 2025 By Merilyn Vale

Budget and operational plan for public exhibition

April 25, 2025 By Merilyn Vale

Briefing on assets on April 14

April 13, 2025 By Merilyn Vale

A drain on resources

March 23, 2025 By Merilyn Vale

Extraordinary meeting March 11 to finish February agenda

March 13, 2025 By Merilyn Vale

No January meeting: February 28 is first for 2025

March 13, 2025 By Merilyn Vale

December 10 meeting highlights

December 11, 2024 By Merilyn Vale

Urgent airport request – before masterplan is adopted

November 25, 2024 By Merilyn Vale

Email Newsletter

* indicates required




Footer

Merilyn Vale – Journalist

This page is run by journalist Merilyn Vale and is not associated with Council.

Recent

  • Court on site at Wards Hill Rd for talks on telecom tower June 14, 2025
  • Mardi Old Farm gets subdivision approval June 7, 2025
  • Children’s picture book a winner June 7, 2025
  • Gosford Bowling Club still in limbo June 7, 2025
  • Denmark calling: save the library June 6, 2025

Search

Tags

Administrator airport ALGA ARIC Austin Butler Boarding house bowling club candidates Central Coast Central Coast Council Central Coast Council Watch Central Coast NSW CMP Community land COSS DAs Davistown dogs East Gosford elections Elections 2024 Expenses Gosford Gosford waterfront IPART LEC LGNSW LPP NSW NSW council elections politics Rates seawall Six Cities Commission TAFE ten questions The Entrance Tuggerah Lakes Umina Beach Wadalba East Wamberal Beach SOS Wamberal seawall Warnervale Water and Sewer Wyong

Copyright © 2025 · Merilyn Vale