That is how Murray River Councillor Tom Weyrich has responded following the March council meeting.
Cr Weyrich believes that during the meeting, the other councillors painted an inaccurate picture of him in an attempt to make him unelectable at the September elections.
Cr Geoff Wise, who said in the council meeting that Cr Weyrich was responsible for about $48,000 in complaint investigations, is one of the people Cr Weyrich said did not give all the facts in the March meeting.
“There were five written complaints against me and when the CEO receives a written complaint against any staff member or any councillor, he’s duty-bound to investigate it,” Cr Weyrich said.
“They appoint a private investigator for each and every case. Do you know what they found? Nothing. Zilch.
“I could accuse you of robbing a bank and you didn’t do it. But I can still make the accusation. I can still cost the ratepayers.”
Cr Weyrich also took exception to the insinuation that he threatened another council member during a discussion about an upcoming event they were both to attend.
“We were having this robust debate. There was a function that evening. On the way out, (Cr Neil Gorey) said, ‘I’ll see you tonight, will I?’ I said, ‘No, there’ll probably be fisticuffs’. I said it as a joke. He took it as a joke,” he said.
“I went to the function. There was no trouble, no cross words, nothing said, but all of a sudden, now it suits him to raise it as an issue and portray me as some thug who goes around beating and threatening people.”
Cr Weyrich said the council, given its financial position, often focused on areas that he did not think it should and that could lead to division within the council.
“We were out advocating for abattoirs (that) Murray River Council own. In five years, we haven’t slaughtered one animal,” he said.
“We can’t even supply drinking water in Moama for a whole week. Even Ukraine has drinking water, but we couldn’t supply it to our residents, and I told them that straight.
“I didn’t yell at anybody. I didn’t abuse anybody. I didn’t swear at anybody. But I said it like I meant it, because I do.”
Another area that apparently causes disagreements at Murray River Council is its financial issues, including the decision not to implement a special rates variation during November’s extraordinary council meeting.
“A cynical person like me would say the councillors of the day deliberately put it off because there are council elections in September. There will be a new council, and they’ll have to deal with it.
“We had a Christmas party in Moama that was virtually a secret because we didn’t want anyone to know that we were spending ratepayers’ money on a Christmas party given we had said the meeting before that ... (financially) we’re not looking too good.”
When it comes to fixing the divisions within the council that were made public during the February meeting, Mr Weyrich said he was open to discussions.
“(Murray River Council chief executive) Terry Dodds tried to get the mayor and myself together to try and sit down ... to sort out the differences. I said fine, I’m up to that. I’m all about trying to resolve the issues,” he said.
“But (Cr Frank Crawley) wouldn’t be in that. The mayor refused.
“Terry Dodds has gone over and above to try and resolve the issues. He’s probably the best general manager I’ve ever had the privilege of working with.”
Cr Weyrich suggested that if the councillors did not change their attitude, there could be consequences in the upcoming elections.
“I’m tipping that we’re going to see a very different council,” he said.
“They’re trying to shut me up and get rid of me. Well, it ain’t going to work and you know what? Come election day, the people will decide.
“They can’t control that. The people will decide who they want and who they don’t want.”
