A Knox councillor will be suspended from office for one month after a misconduct finding stemming from a heated dispute over Christmas decorations, social media activity and criticism of fellow councillors.
Councillor Peter Lockwood was found to have breached the Model Councillor Code of Conduct following complaints lodged by Councillor Lisa Cooper, Councillor Glen Atwell, Councillor Meagan Baker and Councillor Parisa Considine.
The complaints centred on Lockwood’s behaviour during council meetings debating whether Christmas decorations should be funded, as well as a series of social media interactions that followed the dispute.
During the debate, Lockwood referred to councillors who opposed funding Christmas decorations as “grinches”, a remark that became a key issue in the arbitration process.
The complaints also cited Lockwood’s online activity, including “liking” Facebook comments that criticised councillors who voted against the decorations, tagging external political pages and publicly discussing council matters with the media.
The arbiter found the conduct targeted councillors who had voted a particular way during the Christmas decorations debate and went beyond what could reasonably be considered normal political debate.
The decision concluded the behaviour risked undermining public confidence in the council and brought the organisation into disrepute, warranting a suspension.
As a result, Lockwood will be suspended from the role of councillor for one calendar month.
The ruling has already sparked debate beyond the council chamber.
Many residents in the Knox community say Lockwood was standing up for Christmas celebrations and argue the suspension goes too far for what they view as political commentary during a public debate.
Supporters say the dispute was ultimately about defending Christmas traditions and criticising councillors who opposed decorations, while critics argue the conduct crossed the line into personal attacks and behaviour unbecoming of a councillor.
The case has become the latest flashpoint in a growing debate across Victorian councils about councillor conduct rules, social media activity and how far elected officials can go in publicly criticising colleagues.
