A former Footy Show personality turned city councilman says he is “celebrating” after being disqualified from public office for making homophobic comments.
The NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) ordered on Friday that former Newcastle Independents councilor Allan ‘Robbo’ Robinson should not stand in the next election after he was found to have made “grossly homophobic statements against a fellow councilor” and made comments about ‘another weight of the alderman’.
He will not be able to serve on the council until September 2028 after NCAT felt the sentence was necessary to “protect the public from this type of behavior.”
Mr Robinson said he was ‘celebrating’ the decision to disqualify him from public office by flying to Hamilton Island
“Mr. Robinson’s conduct in making homophobic remarks to another council member at a council meeting was clearly discriminatory,” the report said.
“Such behavior erodes public confidence in local government and is fundamentally inconsistent with the role and responsibilities of a city council member.”
Mr. Robinson reacted unusually to the ruling, telling NCA NewsWire that the sentence was “insufficient.”
“I am appealing immediately because I think the sentence is insufficient and I should have been sentenced to life,” he said.
“Once again, the government has failed and the cost to the Department of Local Government would be appalling.
“This has been going on for years, it’s embarrassing and it’s just a joke.”
Deputy Mayor Declan Clausen said he had received ‘unrelenting’ homophobia from Mr Robinson
Mr Robinson, who was a jockey and a favorite on Nine’s Footy Show before running for city council, went on to say he would fly to Hamilton Island on Saturday after the ruling, telling NCA NewsWire he booked the holiday “because I celebrate. ‘.
“I’m celebrating[that]I don’t have to be in a room with mean, rotten people anymore,” he said.
A 2021 report by workplace behavior coach Phil O’Brien on complaints against Mr Robinson found that seven of eight allegations of bad behavior were true.
Mr Robinson was found to have made homophobic comments about Deputy Mayor Declan Clausen at a council meeting in July 2019, calling him ‘custard’. His comments were caught on camera.
He also appeared to have targeted the weight of Mayor Nuatali Nelmes in an email to a voter.
“I spoke to Grahame about this that something needs to be done if it was on Fleet Street where fat (sic) parents live it would have already happened,” the email read.
Mr Robinson was also revealed to have targeted the weight of Mayor Nuatali Nelmes (pictured) in an email to a voter
“Robbo is a family man…and a great guy in every way,” reads a website for his demolition company
The mayor wasn’t the only target of his weight-based remarks, Councilor Carol Duncan also appeared to have been in the line of fire for bringing home leftovers at the end of a meeting.
“She’s a big fat woman, she’s got legs like Blocker Roach, she’s a big unit,” he appeared to have said.
“You have no idea what she’s taking home, it’s embarrassing what she’s taking home.”
Mr Robinson said he had apologized to those he had offended.
‘I already have [apologised]”Because it has to do with the other race, you have to apologize a few times before they can identify with that,” he said.
He did not clarify what he meant by “other race.”
NCAT also determined that Mr. Robinson engaged in “unwelcome physical contact with another council member” in a “violent and intimidating manner.”
The ruling was welcomed by Mr Clausen, who said he received ‘unrelenting’ homophobic slurs from Mr Robinson.
‘In addition to homophobia, the Tribunal found that Mr Robinson was guilty of sexist and harassment towards several female councillors. While his comments directed at me attracted the most media attention, his actions towards my female colleagues were equally egregious,” he said.
“The NCAT’s decision to disqualify Mr. Robinson from running in next year’s election sends a clear message to everyone in politics about the behavior our community expects of elected representatives.”