A POP-UP prop jump started an angry exchange at last week’s public council meeting.
Deputy mayor Cr Glenn Aitken brought out a jack-in-the-box with the words “Who is the Liberal candidate for Isaacs?” on its side during a debate about the impact of the state government’s rate capping policy.
Cr Darrel Taylor was angry at the stunt and called Cr Aitken “a disgrace”. He said the deputy mayor’s actions at the meeting were inappropriate and tantamount to “bullying and intimidation”.
Cr Taylor told The Times Cr Aitken is convinced “that I’m the candidate for the seat of Isaacs”.
“It’s totally inaccurate, it’s totally untrue, I haven’t spoken to anyone and I haven’t sought any federal seat,” Cr Taylor said.
“For some reason he’s been like a dog with a bone with this.”
He said he had ignored Cr Aitken’s comments behind the scenes “and treated it like a joke” but will not tolerate intimidation in public.
Cr Aitken said he pulled out the jack-in-the-box “to try to secure an answer”.
“I’ve asked him on a number of occasions but the answers have been highly evasive,” he said.
“If he didn’t have any plans I would have thought he’d just have a bit of a laugh and get on with his business. The response that he gave was entirely disproportionate to the action that was taken.”
In February last year, some councillors called on Cr Taylor to step down as then mayor when he put his hand up for Liberal preselection as the state candidate for Frankston.
The mayor is expected to be bipartisan.
Cr Taylor lost out on preselection to Sean Armistead who narrowly lost out to Frankston Labor MP Paul Edbrooke at last November’s state election. He saw out his 12-month term as mayor.
Mayor Cr Sandra Mayer said “the two councillors get along really well” and the jack-in-the-box argument “took me by surprise”.
“I acted immediately and took the appropriate action, asking Cr Aitken to put the item away,” she said.
“After the council meeting we held a meeting to discuss what happened and both councillors seemed happy with the outcome. Cr Taylor has formally withdrawn the complaint and I consider the matter to be resolved.”
