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Daily Mail
a day ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Councillor told to resign after heated backlash to 'First Nations snub' - but he says there's more to the story
A South Australian council has turned on one of its own after a councillor was accused of walking out of Acknowledgement of Country speeches and a smoking ceremony. Barossa Council last Tuesday voted in favour of a motion that councillor Bruce Preece resign without delay following four separate complaints about his politically incorrect behaviour. The council brought in law firm Kelledy Jones to investigate the complaints at a cost to ratepayers of $47,000, the ABC reported. The Kelledy Jones report found Mr Preece had walked out of Acknowledgement of Country speeches on five occasions and also during a smoking ceremony on Australia Day last year. Another complaint involved him using the homophobic slur 'poofter' in a conversation about AFL player Jeremy Finlayson's suspension. Barossa Council also ordered Mr Preece to publicly apologise and attend behavioural training, as per the report's recommendations. Mr Preece said the investigation had been unfair and that he would appeal the matter to the state ombudsman. 'I believe one of the great pillars of Australian society and the way our country is run is that we have the rule of law, we have the principle that people are innocent until proven guilty and that those accused of wrongdoing are given procedural fairness in the ensuing investigations,' he said. The report found Mr Preece walking out during five Acknowledgment of Country services in 2023 was deliberate and calculated. A complainant said his actions were 'disruptive and contemptuous as well as disrespectful and discriminatory, on the basis that the Acknowledgement of Country is a public demonstration of respect to the First Nations of Australia and is a longstanding element of council's meeting procedure'. The report also said he allegedly turned his back on a smoking ceremony at a 2024 Australia Day event being performed by Uncle Quentin Agius. 'For an extended period of time Cr Preece stood 'with his back facing the stage,' the complaint alleged. The councillor was also alleged to have been heard by some attendees saying 'they shouldn't be allowed to have that smoke, they shouldn't be allowed to do that ... it's so wrong', 'it smells disgusting' and 'people can't breathe because of all that smoke'. Another complaint alleged Mr Preece had blindsided the council by announcing to the local paper in December 2023 that he would be bringing in a motion to discontinue the Acknowledgements of Country at council events and meetings. In response to the allegations, Mr Preece's lawyer said he had walked out of the Acknowledgements of Country to either get his reading glasses from his car or go to the bathroom, having recently had a battle with bowel cancer. He said his client had turned his back on the smoking ceremony to assist an elderly woman who was coughing, and that, regarding the newspaper article, he was not required to 'foreshadow' raising a motion with other councillors. Regarding the the homophobic slur, Mr Preece's lawyer said he was pursuing a 'stick and stones' type argument, but accepted the pursuit of the debate 'may not have been appropriate to the context and apologies for any offence caused'. He made the comment ahead of a Gawler River Floodplain Management Authority meeting regarding Port Adelaide AFL player Jeremy Finlayson being suspended for saying the word 'poofter' on the field. According to the complaint, Mr Preece was 'outraged' the word had caused the suspension and claimed he had been a victim of the same slur on the footy field, adding he was 'sick' of society telling him what was ok to say.
Daily Telegraph
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Telegraph
Councillor reprimanded after walking out of Indigenous ceremony
Don't miss out on the headlines from Leaders. Followed categories will be added to My News. A South Australian councillor has been called on to resign by his colleagues after he was accused of walking out during the Acknowledgement of Country and turning his back on a smoking ceremony at a Welcome to Country. Barossa councillor Bruce Preece was also alleged to have used the homophobic slur 'poofter' in 2024, in a conversation defending suspended Port Adelaide forward Jeremy Finlayson's use of the word. Councillor Preece says he's been denied procedural fairness and plans to appeal against any findings made against him. Another complaint alleged that he had blindsided colleagues by appearing on the front page of the local newspaper in December 2023 in a story announcing he would be bringing forward a motion to discontinue the Acknowledgement of Country at council meetings and events. Barossa Council received a behavioural complaint from two councillors and one unnamed individual against Cr Preece in April last year regarding the four allegations. The council spent $47,000 investigating the matter, according to public documents, with a report by law firm Kelledy Jones concluding that he had breached numerous Behavioural Standards for Council Members and recommending he be reprimanded, attend relevant training and issue a public apology. The council voted in favour of the motions at its meeting on May 20, calling on Cr Preece to resign 'forthwith'. Cr Preece told the meeting that he had been denied procedural fairness in the investigation, and would appeal to the state ombudsman. 'I believe one of the great pillars of Australian society and the way our country is run is that we have the rule of law, we have the principle that people are innocent until proven guilty and that those accused of wrongdoing are given procedural fairness in the ensuing investigations,' he said. Barossa councillor Bruce Preece. Picture: Tait Schmaal Cr Preece declined to comment further when reached on Friday. According to Kelledy Jones' report, Cr Preece walked out during council's Acknowledgement of Country on five occasions in 2023 in a 'deliberate and calculated' manner. Cr Preece's actions were 'disruptive and contemptuous as well as disrespectful and discriminatory, on the basis that the Acknowledgement of Country is a public demonstration of respect to the First Nations of Australia and is a longstanding element of council's meeting procedure', the complaint read. At council's Australia Day event in 2024 at Tanunda Show Hall, Cr Preece was accused of getting up from his seat and walking away from the crowd after a smoking ceremony by Uncle Quenten Agius to wait in line at a coffee van, chatting with another person and standing with his back to the speaker 'for an extended period of time'. The complaint 'submits that Cr Preece's positioning and body language conveyed contempt and it appeared to be a calculated and deliberately public display of disrespect and repudiation directed towards our guest speaker'. He was alleged to have been heard by a number of attendees saying words to the effect of 'they shouldn't be allowed to have that smoke, they shouldn't be allowed to do that, it's so wrong', 'it's disgusting, it smells disgusting' and 'people can't breathe, they can't breathe because of all that smoke'. Cr Preece, who was elected to council in November 2022, spoke to The Barossa Leader newspaper in December 2023 ahead of bringing a motion to discontinue the Acknowledgement of Country. The complaint alleged that 'the manner in which Cr Preece brought this matter forward resulted in elected members becoming aware of the motion via the local newspaper in the first instance, which fails to meet his obligations under the Behavioural Standards in establishing and maintaining relationships of respect, trust, collaboration and co-operation with fellow elected members'. Uncle Quenten Agius. Picture: Matt Loxton/AAP In April 2024, ahead of a meeting of the Gawler River Floodplain Management Authority (GRFMA) at Adelaide Hills Council's Kersbrook Sporting Complex, in his capacity as a GRFMA board member, Cr Preece was allegedly 'engaged in friendly football banter' with two individuals when he raised the recent 'Jeremy Finlayson homophobic slur' incident. 'Very vocally, in an audible voice heard by those beyond the conversation, Cr Preece spoke certain, similar, words to those purportedly used by Mr Finlayson, that the complainant submits were offensive and inappropriate,' the complaint read. 'The complainant asserts that Cr Preece seemed 'outraged' that you couldn't call someone a 'poofter' and reminded him that his use of that word was not appropriate.' The complainant alleged that despite being told to stop, Cr Preece then 'doubled down on his comments raised his voice louder and said he was sick of our society telling him what he could and couldn't say and if he wanted to call someone a poofter he should be able to, after all he was referred to that on the football field many times'. In his response to the investigation, Cr Preece's lawyer said his client was 'making a sticks and stones type argument' but 'accepts that his pursuit of the argument may not have been appropriate to the context and apologises for any offence caused'. Regarding the allegation of walking out during the Acknowledgement of Country, Cr Preece's representative submitted that he has had 'a battle with bowel cancer his need to go to the bathroom can be immediate' and on other occasions he had left the chamber to get his spare reading glasses from his car. He denied deliberately turning his back during the Australia Day smoking ceremony, saying he had noticed there was an elderly citizen who was coughing due to the smoke and went over to see if she needed assistance. And in response to the complaint about the newspaper article, Cr Preece maintained he was within his rights to raise a notice of motion without 'foreshadowing' to other members. Barossa Mayor Bim Lange. Picture: Russell Millard Photography Kelledy Jones found that Cr Preece's explanation for leaving the chamber during the Acknowledgement of Country was 'disingenuous', and that his explanation of the Australia Day incident did 'not address what was said to be his rude and offensive comments made at the time'. The law firm also found that Cr Preece 'made the homophobic comments as alleged, and when challenged regarding the same, asserted his right to do so, blanketed as 'free speech''. 'It is highly inappropriate and offensive for a member of the council to act in such manner, particularly when they are an 'ambassador' for their council, causing embarrassment and offending others present, which actions persisted, even when they were raised with him,' it said. Emotional councillors vented their fury at Cr Preece during last Tuesday's meeting. 'I have never, ever called upon someone to resign, but such is the seriousness of it,' Cr John Angas said. Cr Dave de Vries added, 'I'm actually surprised how emotional I'm getting about this … it's just so distressing. The enormity of what's happening is just starting to hit home.' Cr Jess Greatwich, council's representative to the local Rainbow Network, said she was 'apoplectic with fury when I read this complaint — I had to go and walk around the block and make myself a cup of tea'. 'I'm still furious and I am so sad,' she said. Cr Cathy Troup suggested 'Indigenous and cultural awareness training in this specific incident could be very beneficial'. 'Sometimes we just don't know what we don't know, and I do think this could give Cr Preece a chance to just, you know, think about the way he thinks,' she said. Barossa Mayor Bim Lange told the ABC on Thursday council's decision was about policies rather than politics. 'It's disappointing that this has occurred, but I believe that council is engaging with First Nations, looking at all the things associated with their history and it's just about showing respect,' he said. 'People can have personal views — I don't hold a grudge against that — but when we've set some policies and some principles on our behaviour, I think it's important we demonstrate that to the wider community.' A number of councils have voted to cancel Acknowledgement of Country and Welcome to Country ceremonies following the defeat of the Voice to Parliament referendum in 2023, including South Australia's Northern Areas Council, the City of Playford and Naracoorte Lucindale Council. Several others have knocked down motions seeking to end the practice, including the Shire of Harvey in Western Australia, Sydney's Cumberland City Council and Flinders Council in Tasmania earlier this week. Originally published as Councillor reprimanded after walking out, turnng back on Indigenous ceremonies
News.com.au
2 days ago
- General
- News.com.au
Councillor reprimanded after walking out, turnng back on Indigenous ceremonies
A South Australian councillor has been called on to resign by his colleagues after he was accused of walking out during the Acknowledgement of Country and turning his back on a smoking ceremony at a Welcome to Country. Barossa councillor Bruce Preece was also alleged to have used the homophobic slur 'poofter' in 2024, in a conversation defending suspended Port Adelaide forward Jeremy Finlayson's use of the word. Councillor Preece says he's been denied procedural fairness and plans to appeal against any findings made against him. Another complaint alleged that he had blindsided colleagues by appearing on the front page of the local newspaper in December 2023 in a story announcing he would be bringing forward a motion to discontinue the Acknowledgement of Country at council meetings and events. Barossa Council received a behavioural complaint from two councillors and one unnamed individual against Cr Preece in April last year regarding the four allegations. The council spent $47,000 investigating the matter, according to public documents, with a report by law firm Kelledy Jones concluding that he had breached numerous Behavioural Standards for Council Members and recommending he be reprimanded, attend relevant training and issue a public apology. The council voted in favour of the motions at its meeting on May 20, calling on Cr Preece to resign 'forthwith'. Cr Preece told the meeting that he had been denied procedural fairness in the investigation, and would appeal to the state ombudsman. 'I believe one of the great pillars of Australian society and the way our country is run is that we have the rule of law, we have the principle that people are innocent until proven guilty and that those accused of wrongdoing are given procedural fairness in the ensuing investigations,' he said. Cr Preece declined to comment further when reached on Friday. According to Kelledy Jones' report, Cr Preece walked out during council's Acknowledgement of Country on five occasions in 2023 in a 'deliberate and calculated' manner. Cr Preece's actions were 'disruptive and contemptuous as well as disrespectful and discriminatory, on the basis that the Acknowledgement of Country is a public demonstration of respect to the First Nations of Australia and is a longstanding element of council's meeting procedure', the complaint read. At council's Australia Day event in 2024 at Tanunda Show Hall, Cr Preece was accused of getting up from his seat and walking away from the crowd after a smoking ceremony by Uncle Quenten Agius to wait in line at a coffee van, chatting with another person and standing with his back to the speaker 'for an extended period of time'. The complaint 'submits that Cr Preece's positioning and body language conveyed contempt and it appeared to be a calculated and deliberately public display of disrespect and repudiation directed towards our guest speaker'. He was alleged to have been heard by a number of attendees saying words to the effect of 'they shouldn't be allowed to have that smoke, they shouldn't be allowed to do that, it's so wrong', 'it's disgusting, it smells disgusting' and 'people can't breathe, they can't breathe because of all that smoke'. Cr Preece, who was elected to council in November 2022, spoke to The Barossa Leader newspaper in December 2023 ahead of bringing a motion to discontinue the Acknowledgement of Country. The complaint alleged that 'the manner in which Cr Preece brought this matter forward resulted in elected members becoming aware of the motion via the local newspaper in the first instance, which fails to meet his obligations under the Behavioural Standards in establishing and maintaining relationships of respect, trust, collaboration and co-operation with fellow elected members'. In April 2024, ahead of a meeting of the Gawler River Floodplain Management Authority (GRFMA) at Adelaide Hills Council's Kersbrook Sporting Complex, in his capacity as a GRFMA board member, Cr Preece was allegedly 'engaged in friendly football banter' with two individuals when he raised the recent 'Jeremy Finlayson homophobic slur' incident. 'Very vocally, in an audible voice heard by those beyond the conversation, Cr Preece spoke certain, similar, words to those purportedly used by Mr Finlayson, that the complainant submits were offensive and inappropriate,' the complaint read. 'The complainant asserts that Cr Preece seemed 'outraged' that you couldn't call someone a 'poofter' and reminded him that his use of that word was not appropriate.' The complainant alleged that despite being told to stop, Cr Preece then 'doubled down on his comments raised his voice louder and said he was sick of our society telling him what he could and couldn't say and if he wanted to call someone a poofter he should be able to, after all he was referred to that on the football field many times'. In his response to the investigation, Cr Preece's lawyer said his client was 'making a sticks and stones type argument' but 'accepts that his pursuit of the argument may not have been appropriate to the context and apologises for any offence caused'. Regarding the allegation of walking out during the Acknowledgement of Country, Cr Preece's representative submitted that he has had 'a battle with bowel cancer his need to go to the bathroom can be immediate' and on other occasions he had left the chamber to get his spare reading glasses from his car. He denied deliberately turning his back during the Australia Day smoking ceremony, saying he had noticed there was an elderly citizen who was coughing due to the smoke and went over to see if she needed assistance. And in response to the complaint about the newspaper article, Cr Preece maintained he was within his rights to raise a notice of motion without 'foreshadowing' to other members. Kelledy Jones found that Cr Preece's explanation for leaving the chamber during the Acknowledgement of Country was 'disingenuous', and that his explanation of the Australia Day incident did 'not address what was said to be his rude and offensive comments made at the time'. The law firm also found that Cr Preece 'made the homophobic comments as alleged, and when challenged regarding the same, asserted his right to do so, blanketed as 'free speech''. 'It is highly inappropriate and offensive for a member of the council to act in such manner, particularly when they are an 'ambassador' for their council, causing embarrassment and offending others present, which actions persisted, even when they were raised with him,' it said. Emotional councillors vented their fury at Cr Preece during last Tuesday's meeting. 'I have never, ever called upon someone to resign, but such is the seriousness of it,' Cr John Angas said. Cr Dave de Vries added, 'I'm actually surprised how emotional I'm getting about this … it's just so distressing. The enormity of what's happening is just starting to hit home.' Cr Jess Greatwich, council's representative to the local Rainbow Network, said she was 'apoplectic with fury when I read this complaint — I had to go and walk around the block and make myself a cup of tea'. 'I'm still furious and I am so sad,' she said. Cr Cathy Troup suggested 'Indigenous and cultural awareness training in this specific incident could be very beneficial'. 'Sometimes we just don't know what we don't know, and I do think this could give Cr Preece a chance to just, you know, think about the way he thinks,' she said. Barossa Mayor Bim Lange told the ABC on Thursday council's decision was about policies rather than politics. 'It's disappointing that this has occurred, but I believe that council is engaging with First Nations, looking at all the things associated with their history and it's just about showing respect,' he said. 'People can have personal views — I don't hold a grudge against that — but when we've set some policies and some principles on our behaviour, I think it's important we demonstrate that to the wider community.' A number of councils have voted to cancel Acknowledgement of Country and Welcome to Country ceremonies following the defeat of the Voice to Parliament referendum in 2023, including South Australia's Northern Areas Council, the City of Playford and Naracoorte Lucindale Council. Several others have knocked down motions seeking to end the practice, including the Shire of Harvey in Western Australia, Sydney's Cumberland City Council and Flinders Council in Tasmania earlier this week.
ABC News
3 days ago
- General
- ABC News
Barossa councillor to appeal to ombudsman after Welcome to Country reprimand
A South Australian councillor says he will appeal to the ombudsman after colleagues called on him to resign for refusing to acknowledge Welcome to Country ceremonies. Barossa Council also directed Bruce Preece to apologise and attend behavioural training "relevant to his role and responsibilities" in regard to three other unrelated allegations spanning 18 months. These included using the slur "poofter" at an external event during a discussion about AFL player Jeremy Finlayson's suspension on that charge. The council spent $47,000 investigating the complaints, according to public meeting documents, and Cr Preece, who has defended the allegations, was formally reprimanded at last Tuesday's meeting. According to the meeting documents Cr Preece caught fellow councillors off-guard when he appeared on the front page of the Barossa Leader newspaper in 2023 and announced he would put forward a motion to abandon the Acknowledgement of Country at council events. The motion failed, but a series of complaints later lodged by councillors Jess Greatwich and Kathryn Schilling alleged, among other things, that he did not meet his obligations of "maintaining relationships of respect, trust, collaboration and cooperation". An investigation by Kelledy Jones Lawyers ruled he did not act in a "reasonable, just, respectful and non-discriminatory way" when he left the council chambers on five occasions during Acknowledgement of Country proceedings and allegedly turned his back on a smoking ceremony at a 2024 Australia Day event. In her complaint Cr Greatwich said Mr Preece stood up as elder Quenten Agius began speaking and went to the coffee van line. "For an extended period of time", the complaint alleged, Cr Preece stood "with his back facing the stage". He was allegedly heard describing the amount of smoke as "disgusting" and saying "people can't breathe". Cr Greatwich said she "could not see anyone struggling to breathe". In his defence, Cr Preece said bowel cancer symptoms forced him to intermittently leave the chambers and that he was assisting an attendee who began coughing at the smoking ceremony. Regarding the homophobic slur, Cr Preece's lawyer wrote that "the context of the conversation was the disparity of punishment between two issues, namely that Port Adelaide player [who] was given six-match suspension for a slur [when] a player can sling-tackle a player and get only [a] one or two-match suspension". The third complainant, whose identity was undisclosed, reported that Cr Preece remarked "he was sick of our society telling him what he could and couldn't say" and that he was "referred to as that on the football field many times". Cr Preece told the ABC he could not comment due to legal considerations but confirmed he would lodge a complaint with the ombudsman on the grounds that he was denied procedural fairness. In a statement read to council he requested until August 8 to "respond fully" to the allegations and urged his colleagues to consider "what you would want to see happen if you were in my shoes". "You never know if, one day – though you may be perfectly innocent – you may find yourself under investigation," Cr Preece's statement said. "I hope that day never comes for you. "I believe one of the great pillars of Australian society and the way our country is run is that when we have the rule of law, we have the principle that people are innocent until proven guilty and that those accused of wrongdoing are given procedural fairness in the ensuing investigations." The time extension request was denied. Cr Preece was previously a Prospect councillor between 2006 and 2014. The City of Prospect spent $50,000 investigating behavioural complaints made by and against him. Mr Agius, a Narungga and Ngadjuri elder, described Cr Preece's alleged actions as "disappointing". "It's like the old people said — some people are open to change, but not all," he said. "It's taken a long time for Aboriginal people to have a voice and for Aboriginal people to get up and speak at these occasions, and to want to participate in these special occasions, to unite us as a nation. Barossa Mayor Michael Lange OAM said the council's decision was about policies rather than politics. "It's disappointing that this has occurred, but I believe that council is engaging with First Nations, looking at all the things associated with their history and it's just about showing respect," he said. "People can have personal views – I don't hold a grudge against that – but when we've set some policies and some principles on our behaviour, I think it's important we demonstrate that to the wider community." Cr Lange said Cr Preece had privately advised him that his actions were a show of protest. "He told me he objected to the Acknowledgement of Country in council meetings, yes," Cr Lange said. Several SA councils have retired the Welcome to Country, including Northern Areas, Playford and Naracoorte Lucindale after motions from elected members. On Wednesday Flinders Council in Tasmania voted down a similar proposal.
