A PETITION with more than 100 signatories has demanded Gawler Council publically apologise to elected member Ian Tooley for ordering an investigation into his behaviour and conduct.

The 134-signature petition was tabled at last month’s general meeting and cited “absolute confidence” in Cr Tooley and declared outrage at his treatment during an April Zoom meeting.

Local resident Glennys Carse spoke to elected members on the petition and criticised their actions.

“Cr Tooley always shows due diligence and thorough examination at council meetings prior to the meetings,” she said.

“He doesn’t simply rubberstamp the recommendations. He thinks about them.

“He is vocal, yes, and he can be exacting with his comments. He’s not disruptive, argumentative or difficult just for the sake of it. In fact, he is not disruptive at all – what he is is diligent.

“He is trying to ensure that the issues and the results of the issues being discussed get the right and the best results for us people who live at Gawler.”

Cr Tooley’s request for a compassionate leave of absence from a March meeting had lapsed due to the lack of a seconder.

Under the Local Government Act, a council can dismiss a member for missing three consecutive meetings – which would have been the case.

Rather than removing Cr Tooley, elected members discussed instead investigating his behaviour.

In that debate, Cr Diane Fraser successfully pushed for staff to prepare a report on Cr Tooley’s “repeated and sustained behaviour and breaches”.

Cr Tooley said the petition had “nourished his soul”.

“In the history of Gawler Council it seems I am the only elected member that has ever been denied (leave) and yet mine was COVID-related,” he said.

“But, as we’ve seen tonight, motions to grant leave (to other councillors) are granted automatically without explanation.”

Cr Nathan Shanks offered Cr Tooley an apology for how things had played out.

“We have time wasted in angst during a very difficult time. We’ve got a petition of 134 residents that are disgusted with the actions that we’ve done,” he said.

“I’ve got to put my hand up, I actually voted for that item on the night.

“The reason I voted to factualise in an investigation was because in exactly the same way the CEO is being investigated, let’s get some things in writing to figure out where the angst is coming from so that (it) can be defended.

“This petition that has come through has some weight regardless of what you think of Cr Tooley.”