HURSTVILLE Council ended its term with a little blood-letting and score-settling.
Deputy mayor Con Hindi set the scene by asking councillor Bill Pickering to apologise to the council and the public for misleading them about his request to be awarded the emeritus mayor title.
Cr Hindi said the council had a policy not to award the title until eligible councillors resigned from council.
He said he gave it to Cr Pickering because he believed he would retire due to ill health before Cr Pickering announced he would once again contest Peakhurst Ward.
Cr Pickering referred to Cr Hindi as "council's hot-air machine" and said he had "double standards", used "gutter tactics" and suffered "verbal diarrhoea".
Cr Pickering said he wasn't going to run again until he heard that Cr Hindi's wife, former Kogarah councillor Miray Hindi, was a candidate in Peakhurst Ward.
"I can't walk away from this council or Peakhurst Ward and leave two Hindis in charge," Cr Pickering said. "This whole political charade of Cr Hindi's has been about trying to discredit me and open up the door into Peakhurst Ward for his wife from Carrs Park to have an easy ride in the council election.
"Well the game's up Cr Hindi and the doors have been shut in your face."
Cr Hindi said his wife was in an unwinnable position while Cr Pickering's was winnable.
He said his apology demand was about policy and if the council did not want to adhere to the emeritus mayor policy it should get rid of it.
Cr Vince Badalati said he thanked God it was the last meeting because he had never seen the council "sink to such depths of gutter politics".
Public gallery regulars Ken Rogerson and Bruce Warton said the council was the most disgraceful in more than 50 years.
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