The DCC Code of Conduct has become a Kangaroo Court, with no effective balance or Natural Justice rights for the accused.
Clause 12 of the Code of Conduct says that “only members and the chief executive may make a complaint”, but now the judges allow any one of 1500 staff members to anonymously Code of Conduct a so-called decision maker and smear them during an election campaign without the accuser being questioned or witness statements being seen.
The judges have been politically naive to assume that being able to make a final plea with all the with-held facts and accusations could change the rubber-stamping of the biased investigation.
The Code of Conduct process is now being used to silence criticism or complaints, and to silence anyone who speaks up as being ‘loud’ or ‘intimidating’.
I have taken this Court action against the DCC at my own expense to challenge this new use of Code of Conduct which has become a very big bureaucratic tail that now wags the elected dogs.
From the court evidence “one councillor spoke in favour of Mr Vandervis,
making the points that: it was unlikely Mr Vandervis was trying to get out of paying a
$12 ticket because he was paying a $40 ticket at the same time; the video did not
appear to show shouting or that Mr Vandervis had stormed off; a big issue was being
made out about a small thing; and it was no wonder that Mr Vandervis was concerned
about election interference”
Lee Vandervis 
I’m a no one but I do understand fighting for principle and for truth or even unfortunately what’s happening in this case – just the simple adherence to the rules relating to the case, supposedly set out for everyone as fall back for the likes of now common everyday unfairness for being charged for something you were unaware of. Aren’t the rules in place to maintain balance through the complexity of each situation? What’s the point of them if it’s a pick and choose as they please. They blame their failure to see/or choice not to see what you’re trying to highlight at play by mentioning tax payer costs etc and throwing it all back your way in attempt to defame you but yeah, that’s what that side always does. Who’s surprised. Greater public perception is what’s at stake though so what to do when so many just absorb what they’re fed. It’s a downward spiral if that side keep winning via these methods. I dunno. Keep fighting is my point.
Nobody is a no one Ben. The fact that you go to the trouble of commenting to try and improve things makes you a bit special in my view, as few people bother. Ta Lee