At a full meeting of Moray Council, councillors probed the resignation of SNP Councillor Juli Harris (Speyside Glenlivet) as Equalities Champion, claiming it was down to "online comments". Council chief executive Roddy Burns and council leader Councillor Kathleen Robertson argued that other councillors could not discuss the reasons for Cllr Harris' resignation in the meeting.
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00:00 together. Councillor Keithy, you want to come in? I just want to say a few words at this
00:11 point and that is wondering how we've got to the stage of we've got a vacancy for the
00:19 queer qualities post. Who do you wish to direct that question to? You're the chair. Well I
00:33 think it's stated in the paper that the position has resulted from a resignation. I mean obviously
00:45 I was made aware of online comments made by Councillor Harris and I raised these concerns
00:53 with Councillor. Sorry this has to stop. Chair. I think that the paper is asking us for just
01:05 nominations for proposals and seconders for the position. So I do have a proposal and
01:13 a seconder. Therefore I do need to ask if there are any other proposals or seconds for
01:16 the position. Seeing anybody else wanting to. Councillor Ross. Can I ask Mr Burns why
01:23 he stopped any discussion regarding the equalities champion and the resignation? Happy to do
01:31 that chair. The report before you is to form the council vacancies which have arisen due
01:36 to the resignation of several councillors from outside body appointments and that's
01:39 been the custom and practice of the council and council officers in bringing forward vacancies.
01:46 If there is to be a departure from that and reasons to be given for vacancies then that
01:50 would require a completely different report to come before this meeting of council. Councillor
01:56 Ross. We've just heard from Councillor Allen who gave us an understanding of why he resigned.
02:07 I think it also goes back to the point that Councillor Van Der Horne raised about respect
02:12 for individuals, respect for the council and also respect for the due process that brings
02:17 the report to this meeting of council. Happy to go into that in detail as well. Councillor
02:23 Ross. I think this is definitely about respect. It's about respect for a considerable amount
02:32 of our population. The respect I was referring to chair was respect to individuals. There
02:40 is a duty I think as Councillor Van Der Horne alluded to of mutual respect amongst members.
02:46 There's also respect to the organisation and the respect to the due process and the due
02:51 process that the agenda has been closed, the report has been issued and the report that's
02:55 before you is to inform you of vacancies which have arisen. If members want a different report
03:00 that will require a different report to come before a different meeting of council. So
03:04 those are the levels of respect that I'm referring to in terms of the conduct of this meeting.
03:09 [BLANK_AUDIO]