“My concern with code of conduct in this council is that it’s used as a weapon,” he said.

Under the code the council refrains from so much as naming a councillor while a matter is under investigation.

But an external report leaked to the media said Cr Dingle took photos of a man and his family outside a Medowie property – something he has strenuously refuted in recent months. He was last month ordered to make a public apology.

On Tuesday, the council was asked to note a report with analysis of code of conduct complaints lodged in the 12 months to September.

Eleven complaints were made in that time.

Two of them were referred to a conduct reviewer – Cr Dingle’s matter one of them.

Cr Dingle said the reduction in ‘COCs’, down from 24 complaints in the previous year, might give people the false impression that it wasn’t a big issue.

But he went on to say that he and Cr Kafer were the only councillors targeted this way.

When questioned on this he said: “I didn’t want to name Cr [Sally] Dover out of fairness.”

Cr Ken Jordan interjected with a point of order.

“What he’s saying is not true,” he said. “I don’t like his use of that [COC] phrase either, can he just say code of conduct?”

Cr Dingle responded that “these were the only [cases]” he was aware of.

The mayor, Cr Bruce MacKenzie, then asked Cr Dingle to wind up, which he refused to.

“Cr Dingle, the governance officer said that we cannot discuss this,” Cr MacKenzie said.

“If you won’t stop I’ll adjourn this meeting for 15 minutes.”

Cr Dingle continued to speak to the gallery.

“In this council code of conduct is a joke, it adds no value whatsoever,” he said.

“It’s total hypocrisy that I be asked to make an apology for something that I had not done.” 

A council spokesman said it was his “understanding” Cr Dingle has not yet made the personal apology.