Perth’s new Lord Mayor orders workplace culture investigation in shock opening move

The motion passed 6–3, with councillors Lezer, Raj Doshi and Patton voting against.

Reynolds told this masthead the review aligned with his commitment to make Perth the “safest capital city in Australia”.

“This initiative is part of that commitment, ensuring our staff, our community and our organisation continue to thrive in a safe, respectful and high-performing environment,” he said.

“This review is designed to validate the strong work the city already does in this space, and where opportunities for improvement exist, we will embrace them.”

Chief executive Michelle Reynolds has been contacted for comment.

This latest review follows past scrutiny of the city’s culture and governance, including a damning report by lawyer Tony Power in 2020, following a two-year investigation.

The report found the council and administration during the term of then-Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi, was “poorly led, divided and dysfunctional”, with widespread culture and governance failures.

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