Wellington city councillor Rob Goulden was escorted from a committee meeting by police officers yesterday after he was banned for an earlier abusive tirade.
On Thursday, he let loose a foul-mouthed outburst at colleagues in reaction to perceived abuses of democratic process by Mayor Kerry Prendergast and the rest of the council, the Dominion Post reported.
He was banned from returning to the strategy and policy committee's deliberations on the Long-Term Council Community Plan, but turned up nevertheless. A visibly shaking council chief executive Garry Poole read a trespass notice to Mr Goulden as he sat in the public gallery.
Police officers were ready to arrest him but Mr Goulden, a former police inspector, agreed to leave voluntarily.
Ms Prendergast said Mr Goulden's aggressive behaviour had been a problem at the council for several years.
She and councillors were concerned by Mr Goulden's "increasingly erratic behaviour and his mood swings" over recent months.
"In meetings he is abusive, he is loud, he can be insulting, he is aggressive, and he employs bullying tactics. The analogy of a schoolyard bully is the one I would put to him."
Mr Goulden said he was not interested in Ms Prendergast's comments.
Councillor Bryan Pepperell, who sometimes supported Mr Goulden, said even he had had enough.
"He gets too aggressive, far too aggressive."
