Cumberland councillor expelled after sexual remark directed at colleague

Cumberland councillor Paul Garrard was expelled from the council’s 26 August meeting after making repeated, highly offensive remarks of a sexual nature towards councillor Diane Colman. The expulsion was followed by the defeat of an amendment and the passage of the underlying motion.

Mayor Ola Hamed first asked Garrard to withdraw his remark and apologise unreservedly. The meeting was adjourned at 8pm because of disorderly conduct and resumed at 8.19pm.

Garrard withdrew the remark and apologised when the meeting resumed, but made another highly offensive sexual remark at the same time. Hamed ruled that the apology was not made without reservation and reminded him that his continued remarks constituted acts of disorder.

A motion to expel Garrard under clause 15.14 of Cumberland Council’s Code of Meeting Practice was carried 11 votes to three. Colman supported the expulsion, while councillors Steve Christou, Helen Hughes and Eddy Sarkis opposed it.

Garrard left the meeting at 8.22pm and did not return. The expulsion also changed the numbers for the debate that followed.

Christou confirmed he would move an amendment after Garrard, who had moved the original motion, was expelled. The amendment was defeated 11 votes to two, with Christou and Hughes voting for it and the other 11 councillors voting against it.

The underlying motion then passed 12 votes to two. Colman, Glenn Elmore, Hamed, Nadima Kafrouni-Saba, Ahmed Ouf, Suman Saha, Sarkis, Sujan Selventhiran, Steve Yang, Enver Yasar and Michael Zaiter voted for it, while Christou and Hughes voted against it.

The supplied extract does not identify the policy substance of the motion or give the wording of the defeated amendment. It shows that the conduct dispute directly preceded both votes and changed who participated in the debate.