Hobart deputy mayor candidate faces removal if suspension upheld
Councillor Louise Elliot is running for deputy mayor. She was found to have harassed a fellow councillor. Her suspension could lead to her removal.
A Hobart councillor running for deputy mayor could be sacked from council. This could happen even if voters re-elect her.
It depends on whether an appeal against her suspension fails. Louise Elliot was found to have harassed fellow councillor Ryan Posselt on multiple occasions.
She breached the code of conduct four times. The panel ordered a one-month suspension and an apology.
If Elliot is re-elected and the suspension is upheld, the state minister for local government can remove her from office. This is Elliot's third suspension for similar breaches.
She was suspended for seven days in 2023 over inflammatory social media posts. Two months later she was suspended again over posts aimed at causing political harm.
The findings were kept secret until law changes in Tasmania required them to be made public. Local government elections close on October 27.
- Louise Elliot
- Councillor
- Ryan Posselt
- Fellow councillor
- 4 of 5
- Breaches upheld
- October 27
- Election closing date
Why it mattersVoters in Hobart now know a leading candidate could be removed by the state. This could happen even if she is re-elected. This raises questions about who truly has power.
AustraliaTasmanian voters facing local elections must weigh whether to elect a councillor who faces potential removal by the state government regardless of how many times the community votes for her.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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