There’s been a lot of chatter on social media about council staff appearing in photos with candidates. This post is aimed at providing clarity: councillors can openly advocate for the candidate they believe will best serve their community, but council staff, including the CEO, are required by law to remain impartial and avoid any appearance of endorsement.
Councillors are elected to represent their community, not to toe someone else’s line. Their role is to exercise independent judgement and advocate for the candidate they believe will deliver the best outcomes for local people. That’s both their democratic mandate and their duty under the Councillor Code of Conduct.
It is important to note that this freedom applies to councillors, not to staff. The Local Government (General) Regulation 2021 and the Model Code of Conduct for Local Councils set clear rules for council staff, including the CEO (or General Manager):
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Council staff must remain politically neutral.
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They cannot use their role or resources to support or oppose a candidate.
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Appearing in campaign photos, advertisements, or promotional material could be seen as giving improper support.
If a CEO was photographed with one candidate in a way that looks like an endorsement, it could be considered a breach and undermine trust in the election process.
The recent newspaper photo of senior council staff member Ed Paterson standing with Liberal candidate Serena Copley is a case in point. In reality, council staff should know better. The rules are clear. In this photo, it is clear Ed was happy to pose, and the end result is a public image that looks like endorsement. Whether or not that was his intention doesn’t matter, it crosses into territory the regulations are designed to prevent.
This is the key distinction. Councillors are elected representatives. They carry a mandate from the community, and that includes the right to say openly who they believe will deliver. Staff, on the other hand, are employed officials. Their role is to serve whichever councillors the community elects, without showing favour.
The principle is simple:
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Elected councillors must be free to advocate.
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Employed staff must remain impartial.
When those lines blur, the credibility of the whole system is at risk.
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