Newcastle's deputy lord mayor has taken a shot at Independent councillor John Church for missing council meetings, but the councillor has defended his absences.
Deputy lord mayor Declan Clausen made the comments when the council was asked to approve a leave of absence for Cr Church at the December 12 meeting.
"This is our 11th council meeting of the year," Cr Clausen said. "Councillor Church attended just five of the last 10 council meetings so his absence tonight is an absence at a majority of council meetings.
"That doesn't take into consideration his abysmal attendance at councillor workshops. In fact I don't think he has ever attended a councillor workshop during the course of this calendar year.
"I think it is important given the extraordinarily low attendance that as a council we take some action."
He moved an alternate motion that "requests that council formally write to councillor Church requesting an explanation for his poor attendance at council meetings and non attendance at council workshop and planning sessions in 2023, and its expectation that he will participate more fully in 2024".
It was supported by the Labor majority, while the Greens and Liberal councillors voted against it.
Liberal councillor Callum Pull said the motion was "in very poor taste" given Cr Church's reason for absence was illness.
"When you have a councillor who's unwell, there's nothing that can be done about that and particularly from memory poor health has been a reason for a few of his absences".
Cr Church told the Newcastle Herald he had a severe migraine.
"I advised the lord mayor and CEO just before 2pm that I was unwell and unable to attend so as to ensure a quorum for the meeting," he said.
"I am accountable to the people of Newcastle, not Cr Clausen, for the work I do for the community in my role as councillor."
Greens councillor Charlotte McCabe asked at the meeting how many absences were unexplained.
Lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes mentioned one occasion where she said Cr Church did not provide a reason to her or the administration.
"Off the top of my head there was a family trip and there are a lot of very late on Tuesday, like an hour before the meeting, requests due to work commitments," Cr Nelmes said.
Greens councillor Charlotte McCabe said she could "see that there's an issue once it becomes the majority of meetings that have been missed but... it sounds to me at the moment that we do have a reason for absences for all but one potentially".
"We all have busy lives, and there isn't an expectation that we have to come to every single meeting," Cr McCabe said.
Cr Nelmes said she understood people had lives, but other councillors were able to attend most council meetings including councillor Deahnna Richardson, who often brings her baby son Taron to meetings after giving birth to him earlier this year.
"I would say potentially Taron's attendance is better than Cr Church's attendance at council meetings and workshops," Cr Nelmes said.
"I have been on council as everyone knows for quite some time. It's unusual unless there's a chronic reason to have more than 50 per cent of meetings missed in a calendar year and its probably not unusual to ask for an explanation.
"All of us are holding this council up and holding it together and it's only right that after an extended period that some questions are asked.
"It might be reasonable explanations, I'm not making a prejudgement on that.
"There is a pattern of behaviour and at the end of the day if his full commitment isn't there for this council as it is for all of us sitting around this chamber then other people should have the opportunity to represent the citizens of Newcastle."
