THE call has gone out for Wagga City councillor Clint Uden to be sacked after an independent investigation found him guilty of breaching code of conduct provisions in an incident at the Capital Nightclub last September.
The city’s youngest councillor is now facing a call from the investigator that he be censured, forced to make a public apology and continue with a mentor program.
A report will be put to council’s Monday meeting asking them to endorse the investigator’s recommendation, and it is likely to be a show of either support or outright condemnation from his colleagues in the chamber.
Cr Uden was given a 12-month good behaviour bond, but received no conviction, in Wagga Local Court last year for offensive language and behaviour over a verbal spat with security staff at the nightclub when he was refused entry.
Cr Uden called a guard a “f...wit”, gestured to his crotch and told the guard to “suck it” and called the guard a “f...ing retard”.
Of particular concern for the code of conduct investigator was Cr Uden abusing his power when he told the guard: “The Capital is f...d and I will make it f...d. I’m a f...ing legislator. I’ll f... you up”.
Cr Uden yesterday responded to the incident and stinging remarks by fellow councillors.
“Let he who is without sin cast the first stone,” he said.
“I think everyone learns more from their mistakes than their success.”
Cr Uden yesterday held to his belief that the code of conduct was most likely politically motivated by other
councillors.
“It took the complainant (the Capital) 18 days to make the complaint. Why 18 days if they were so concerned?”
“Obviously there were ulterior motives.”
Mayor Kerry Pascoe and Councillor Lindsay Vidler believe the matter is now settled, while Councillor Garry Hiscock is unhappy with the outcome.
“I’ll say this as bluntly as I can: he should be sacked,” Cr Hiscock said.
“I’m getting a bit sick of this softly, softly code of conduct attitude of council.”
Cr Uden will now be mentored by former Wagga City councillor Joe Mason-Cox and a report on the program will be given to council at the end of April.
The pair have been close through their ties with the Liberal Party’s Wagga branch, where Cr Uden was secretary and Mr Mason-Cox was president.
No timeline was given for the public apology or when a second apology should be given to the Capital.
Cr Uden wrote a letter of apology to the nightclub in early November – two months after the incident – but the licensee rejected it as disingenuous because it came so long after the event.
Cr Uden told the investigator the reason it was written then was because he only became aware in late September a complaint had been lodged.
Email a friend