The local government standards panel found City of Nedlands mayor Fiona Argyle's use of hashtags was 'entirely inappropriate', in its recently-published reasons over the decision.
The local government standards panel found Fiona Argyle's use of hashtags was 'entirely inappropriate', in its recently-published reasons ordering the City of Nedlands mayor to make a public apology.
Ms Argyle was found to have committed a minor breach under the local government code of conduct, and was ordered to issue a public apology after the panel considered the complaint about her last month.
She made her apology at a city council meeting on August 27 but the panel has only recently publicly published its reasons over its decision.
The panel found Ms Argyle’s use of hashtags #youwilldie in an Instagram post last year was improper, particularly in the context of the local government election in October 2023.
Ms Argyle’s Instagram post was addressed to “the dinosaurs” who complained about a good woman, seemingly referring to her.
In the post, Ms Argyle said “please know your days are numbered” and used a string of hashtags including #womeninleadership, #getalife, #youwilldie, #shameonyou, and #youdestroyeditforallofus.
The post was deleted but was reported in the local newspaper, which prompted Ms Argyle’s fellow councillor Ben Hodsdon to file a complaint.
In its findings, the panel found it was hard to characterise #youwilldie as anything other than a direct insult or threat.
“It is clear that the post came from a place of frustration,” the panel said.
“However, mayor Argyle should have more carefully considered the hashtag she used in the context of the post she was making.
"Despite this, the wording used was entirely inappropriate within the context of an election when used towards other standing candidates, or their supporters.
“Despite the addition of the comment ‘...your days are numbered’, the panel does not consider that mayor Argyle actually wished to hurt the persons it was aimed at (the ‘dinosaurs’) or for them to come to any physical harm, and that the overarching sentiment was one that meant a ‘political death’ of not being voted back in rather than any physical threat.”
The panel found Ms Argyle intended to cause a detriment to the people the post was aimed out, and to call them out on what she considered to be poor behaviour.
Ms Argyle reportedly did not respond to the complaint by the panel’s deadline of March 2024.
However, the panel’s findings revealed Ms Argyle was advised not to respond.
“That was not sound advice. Mayor Argyle ought to have been directed to obtain external advice in relation to the complaint, her options, and the consequences of not providing a response,” the panel said.
“Mayor Argyle was not in a position to meaningfully respond to the complaint on her own as a result of significant stressors caused by bullying behaviour she was experiencing at the time.”
The panel also considered Ms Argyle unlikely to commit a similar breach, finding her to be remorseful.
On August 27, Ms Argyle acknowledged the panel's decision at a Nedlands council meeting.
"Finally, I would like to advise this meeting that a complaint has been made against me to the local government standards panel in which it was alleged I contravened regulation 18 of the local government model mode of conduct regulations 2021, which included the use of certain improper hashtags on an Instagram post," she said.
"The panel found that I breached regulation 18 by my conduct.
“I acknowledged that I should not have used the hashtags and I now apologise to the public and my fellow councillors."
