Inside Andew Thaler’s court appearance over bullying allegations against Snowy Monaro Council chief executive Noreen Vu
For the average person, going through a three-hour grilling before the NSW Industrial Relations Commission over allegations of bullying would be terrifying. For serial troublemaker Andrew Thaler, this was just another stage to let off steam.
The scrapyard owner’s chance election to the Snowy Monaro Regional Council in 2024 has ushered in a world of pain for those subjected to a steady pattern of harassment and intimidation. Before joining the council, her first targets were several prominent women in the area, including former state lawmakers and leaders of grassroots community groups. His hit list has since been expanded to include the council’s chief executive, Noreen Vu.
Thaler has been attacking Vu for months. In a series of Facebook videos and other communications, he called her a “stupid bitch,” “idiot,” “monster,” “short little witch,” “psycho,” “Miss Amaze” (sic) and “little Vietnamese girl with a boy name.”
“I want you to resign, resign and go away. And when you get there, go further,” he said of Vu in one post. In other videos he said “f*ck you, Noreen” and “f*ck you, Vu.”
After he fell ill, he requested to see his medical report many times and asked permission from the mayor. “I’m sure you’re not so incapable of sending an email of your own accord, neither the sanctity of the porcelain bus nor the sanctity of your bed,” he wrote to her.
Earlier this year Vu decided enough was enough, launching proceedings with the NSW Industrial Relations Commission to seek an order to stop the bullying, one of the first cases of its kind in the local government world. The case is being handled on his behalf by the Association of Development and Environmental Experts.
Stop-bullying orders were introduced in October 2025 so that NSW public servants and local government employees can ask the Industrial Relations Commission to intervene to prevent or stop further bullying, insist on an apology or retraction, and seek compensation of up to $100,000.
Questioned at a hearing in Parramatta on Tuesday, Thaler denied many of his comments about Vu amounted to outright bullying and a breach of the council’s code of conduct, and claimed the comments were merely his opinion.
When Vu’s lawyer Ian Latham challenged him on whether it was appropriate to call the council’s most senior staffer a “silly bitch”, Thaler replied: “Mr Latham, this is 2026, not the 1800s.”
“So you think it’s okay, huh?” Latham responded.
Thaler responded: “This is intentional disrespect because I told Ms. Vu that she lost my respect due to many factors.” He later admitted that he “went a little too far” in some of the videos.
From Vu’s perspective, Thaler had made life hell. In documents lodged before the commission, he says Thaler is harming his health, well-being and sleep and is concerned there will be no end to this unless the commission intervenes.
Thaler was elected To the Snowy Monaro Regional Council in 2024 with 111 first preference votesdespite his history of harassing community members, especially women, on his social media accounts.
At Tuesday’s hearing, Thaler acknowledged mocking Vu online. “I make fun of a lot of people,” he said. “Anyone who attacks me or does me wrong, I have the right to make fun of them like Monty Python, and they are cultural heroes.”
When asked if it was acceptable to swear, abuse and taunt people, Thaler said that in his opinion, such behavior was not illegal. “There are boundaries, and I don’t believe I violated those boundaries. I also defend the broader context that this is not the 1800s.”
Latham responded: “So your view, given that it’s 2026, is that you should be allowed to say and do whatever you want?” Thaler replied: “If we want to present ourselves as living in a democracy, yes, that is an assumption we have. The assumption of free speech, the assumption of free thought.”
Thaler said of Vu in a Facebook video: “I’m ready to destroy your career now. Because you are the most vile, disgusting woman we could ever meet in our area.” Another said: “You want to play? You better be ready to be played, Noreen.”
He did not deny the videos were made but said the quotes used in the lawsuit were selective and that the material was not profane or abusive.
Much of Tuesday’s hearing bordered on ramblings, as Thaler used his time on the witness stand to make more allegations against those he perceived as enemies. He even attacked Commissioner Christopher Muir, saying everyone should go home because he believed he was unimpressed by some of the evidence the commissioner presented.
Latham laughed out loud when Thaler suggested that expressing one’s views was protected under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which says everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression. Article 1 of the same declaration, which encourages people to act towards each other in a spirit of brotherhood, was not mentioned.
In a tense moment, Latham decided it was better to let Thaler continue yelling rather than stopping him and slowing proceedings. “I am astonished at my own moderation, but I will not interrupt,” Latham said.
Oshie Fagir, a lawyer representing the council, said Thaler’s antics had pushed the commission “beyond the point where pragmatism would allow us to continue.”
“We are beyond the pale,” he said. “Some of the things that have been said are completely scandalous.”
The hearing neatly highlighted the long-standing difficulty of dealing with Thaler; In his eyes, traditional methods of accountability and possible sanctions (such as taking someone before the Industrial Relations Commission) are not something to be feared, but an opportunity to take his grievances further.
He has already been suspended from the council twice for various code of conduct breaches and, by his own admission, is down to his eyeballs with various legal scraps. “I have so many pending cases that my abilities are limited financially, time-wise, and legally,” Thaler explained.
He recently returned to the council following a three-month suspension.
In a letter to the Industrial Relations Commission, the council’s chief officer Angela Sommerville said the organization was seeking all available remedies to deal with Thaler’s behaviour.
“Cr Thaler has repeatedly expressed his disdain for the code of conduct process and his intention to continue to knowingly violate the requirements under the code,” he wrote.
He said the Local Government Office had suspended Thaler for misconduct and noted that Thaler had failed to comply with orders to apologize in advance. He said SafeWork NSW chose not to intervene.
“The Council is in a position where it is unable to reduce the risks to Ms Vu through effective controls,” Sommerville said in his letter.
Vu and the Association of Development and Environmental Professionals want the commission to instruct Thaler to stop using his name and/or social media presence in any way that causes or involves intimidation or abuse, to communicate with Vu by email only between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., and to avoid one-on-one contact during council meetings.
Bevan Shields is a senior writer and former editor of The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.
