City of Perth turmoil intensifies as lord mayor hands workplace probe to local government inspector
The City of Perth has been plunged into new turmoil after the mayor called for a state government inspector general investigation after abandoning a controversial workplace culture review he introduced last month.
The move came during a tense agenda meeting Tuesday evening attended by a packed gallery of taxpayers and residents.
Their vocal support for each other led Mayor Bruce Reynolds to label them the “cheer squad.”
Reynolds opened the meeting with a 15-minute speech defending his emergency motion on November 18; councilors were given six minutes to read it before voting, and a law firm was allowed to conduct a $125,000 review.
Reynolds said he was concerned about former staff who had raised “serious concerns” about safety and culture, including “psychosocial dangers”, and that there had been “worrying” public scrutiny of the workplace.
In his speech, he said, “We have a duty not to sit back and take immediate action.” “This was about transparency, good management and support staff.”
But he acknowledged that the move “has become the subject of competing legal interpretations, public debate and media noise” and said he would vote to cancel it.
“We can’t let the city slide into a management crisis just to prove I was right on a process point,” Reynolds said.
“If the city is seen to be locked in open warfare between the governing body and its administration, the state will not only fail to take action, but may be pressured to take action, and this outcome will undermine confidence in this council and local government.”
Reynolds said he would formally ask incoming Local Government Superintendent Tony Brown to conduct a fully independent review of the city’s workplace culture.
Brown takes office in the newly created state government on January 1, 2026.
The change follows the dramatic resignation of acting chief executive Peta Mabbs, who wrote a critical agenda item on the workplace motion, warning that the decision was “not a legal decision and therefore unenforceable”, claiming there was insufficient notice and no opportunity to ask questions.
A council spokesman confirmed at the meeting that Mabbs tendered his resignation late last week and would continue to work in his primary role during his notice period.
Deputy Mayor David Goncalves said at the meeting that Mabbs had already transitioned into retirement before the controversy and that this should have been made public.
Senior executive Wendy Attenborough has been appointed acting CEO for the next two weeks until CEO Michelle Reynolds returns from pre-approved leave.
Reynolds’ speech was followed by a public appearance from East Perth taxpayer Vicki Raniszewski, who accused the mayor of pushing for a workplace review.
“Urgency provisions should only be used in genuine emergencies and not in a way that compresses time frames, limits participation or undermines transparency,” he said.
His words drew loud applause and shouts of “yes” from the gallery. Reynolds responded: “You got the cheer squad together today, congratulations.”
Councilwoman Catherine Lezer’s husband, Dr. Kevin McIsaac also made a pointed delegation presentation, describing the motion as “ill-conceived and unlawful” and warning new councilors not to be “bullied” into supporting motions in the future.
Newly elected councilman Chris Patton responded directly, saying, “I wasn’t bullied,” and argued that he supported the review because he believed the support staff was necessary and the cost was small in the context of the city’s budget.
Fellow new council member Lisa Ma agreed, thanking McIsaac but adding: “This was my own thought and my own understanding.”
Council members Lezer and Raj Doshi openly criticized the process, asking many questions of both the mayor and the administration.
Lezer pressed Reynolds on why Mills Oakley was chosen and asked if he had ever used the firm personally or professionally.
Reynolds responded “absolutely not” and said he contacted them to get preliminary estimates because they had conducted similar studies for other local governments.
Doshi asked whether Reynolds checked the welfare of all council members and staff after the matter became public.
Reynolds said he emailed everyone the next day, but Doshi questioned whether that met his duty of care and whether he should have contacted people individually.
The cancellation proposal is expected to be voted on at the regular council meeting next week.
Carla Hildebrandt is a journalist at WAtoday. She previously worked as a courts reporter for the ABC’s Four Corners and for The Daily Telegraph in Sydney. For secure communication: carlahildebrandt@proton.me.Connect via email.
