Labor MP Kyle McGinn has used parliamentary privilege to claim that an investigation by the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder last year found alleged workplace misconduct by former chief executive John Walker was "so serious" that he could have been sacked.
Mr Walker departed in October following an agreement for a "mutual separation" and an undisclosed payout.
He has since taken on a senior role at the City of Lismore in New South Wales.
Mr Walker was suspended in March last year for the alleged misconduct and reinstated after a special council meeting that ran for more than three hours behind closed doors.
Speaking in the Upper House on Tuesday night, Mr McGinn referred to an internal report that has never been publicly released.
Under the Parliamentary Papers Act 1891, MPs are protected by parliamentary privilege, meaning they are immune from civil liability for any defamation contained within debates.
Mr McGinn claimed the investigation found a "pattern of behaviour … inappropriate for someone in a senior role of CEO" and that there were grounds for lawful termination without notice.
"These damning findings were not enough to convince the majority of City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder councillors to send John Walker packing," Mr McGinn told parliament.
"It was Mr Walker who pulled his own plug, secure in the knowledge he would have a soft landing on the other side of the country with a nice little pay packet as a sweetener."
Allegations 'seriously concerning': Premier
The parliamentary speech comes after allegations of bullying, harassment and sexism were revealed in a bombshell report tabled at last week's city council meeting.
The independent review was commissioned after Mr Walker was reinstated in April last year.
West Australian Premier Mark McGowan said he was shocked by the allegations.
"It's obviously seriously concerning," Mr McGowan told reporters in Kalgoorlie-Boulder last Thursday.
'They will hear from my solicitors'
Mr McGinn told parliament countless staff, councillors, and community members had raised "pretty disturbing concerns" about the city over the past two years.
He said he made the speech to ensure the matter was "not swept under the rug".
"We will certainly not forgive nor forget unless we see some drastic changes done immediately at the city," Mr McGinn told parliament.
"But unfortunately, we have a case where it seems the former CEO has goaded people into speaking out just so he can sue them, or so he can invalidate the non-disclosure agreements of staff who have worked underneath him."
Mr McGinn was referring to an interview Mr Walker gave to ABC Goldfields after the report was released last week.
"If the council thinks it's a good idea to pin everything on one person, then that's a cop-out," Mr Walker told ABC Goldfields from Lismore.
"My view is the council needs to be very careful what they say when they consider this report.
"If anyone wants to take me on, if they want to take on any commentary that might defame me or cause me some damage, then they will hear from my solicitors."
Mayor's support 'untenable': McGinn
The MLC for the Mining and Pastoral Region told fellow MPs he was astounded by the statement.
"I don't know how tone deaf one man needs to be," Mr McGinn told parliament.
Mr McGinn also criticised the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder's lack of transparency around Mr Walker's undisclosed payout, which he said was "shrouded in secrecy".
He described Mayor John Bowler's ongoing public support for Mr Walker as a "weird hill to die on", saying he had "overseen this disaster".
"He has all but dismissed the findings of the report and continues to shower Mr Walker with praise," Mr McGinn told parliament.
"Surely this is untenable.
"Surely you need to have a closer look at the leadership that you want to attract to the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder."
City to pay back workers
Mr McGinn also spoke about the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder's agreement last week to pay back more than $2 million to workers who had wages and loyalty payments incorrectly withheld over six years.
The city implemented a wage freeze in 2016 under Mr Walker's leadership and awarded him a 3 per cent pay rise shortly before his departure, boosting his annual salary towards $400,000.
"The man that's paid more than the Premier in this state thought it was prudent to short-change his workers," Mr McGinn said.
Mr Walker declined to comment.
Mayor apologises to staff
In a statement to the ABC, Mr Bowler said councillors, senior staff, and all workers at the city wanted to move forward.
He said, "It was a pity politicians want to keep old wounds alive rather than letting it all heal".
Mr Bowler was adamant that staff concerns were never raised directly with him.
"Be assured, if I was aware of staff concerns I would have acted immediately, so I was shocked to hear Mr McGinn say he knew two years ago of complaints in the workforce," Mr Bowler said.
"My own working relationship with the staff has always been friendly and there were no negative staff comments about me in the survey."
Mr Bowler responded to the MP's claims that he should have said more after the report was released.
"Let me be unequivocal," he said.
"I fully support the report and the recommendations on how to improve the workplace culture, and for those staff who were unhappy with how they were treated I say in the strongest way that I am sorry.
"Maybe I should have known about staff problems and for that I apologise.
"The next time I will comment on staff culture will be in 12 months, when the city does another survey of staff.
"We will soon have a new Enterprise Bargaining Agreement signed and I am confident that under new CEO Andrew Brien next year's survey will show an improvement in staff morale."
