Westport Director Apologises For Sexist Comments
WESTPORT project director Tim Collins has apologised for making inappropriate sexist comments about his boss Nicole Lockwood.
The offensive remarks about the taskforce chairman and Water Corporation board member were made at a Westport taskforce public meeting in Kwinana on September 10.
In his introduction, Mr Collins referred to Ms Lockwood’s birthday a few days earlier: “Be kind to her, she has just turned 40. So if she looks a bit furry it’s only because she’s probably still hungover. Fortunately she’s not wearing the dress she wore on Saturday night otherwise you wouldn’t be thinking too much about what she’s talking about.”
In an audio recording of the meeting obtained by StreetWise Media, people can be heard laughing at what he subsequently referred to as a joke.
However, Cockburn East Ward candidate Kathy Pritchard said she was not amused and complained to the Department of Transport which found Mr Collins’ remarks were not the, “behaviour expected of him when engaging with the community and colleagues in the workplace”. Mrs Pritchard said she was astounded that Kwinana mayor Carol Adams and Western Harbours Alliance chairman Kim Dravnieks just sat there.
She said the apology is not good enough. It should be a public apology because it was made in public: “They need to take the matter seriously.”
StreetWise has contacted Ms Lockwood and Mayor Adams said she, “is not going to touch this one and leave it as is”. Mayor Adams was just leaving the dentist when StreetWise caught up with her: “I prefer not to comment.” Asked why, she said, “because I can’t talk”.
Mrs Pritchard said Mr Collins’ remarks were unprofessional: “The audience did not need to know Nicole’s age or that she had celebrated her birthday. Considering the year is 2019, I thought the comments by Tim were sexist, misogynistic, poor taste and extremely inappropriate. I am not a precious person who is easily offended, but these comments made me furious and I saw Nicole walk onto the stage red-faced. Her opening comment was along the lines of she was unsure how to react to his introduction. I was not the only person in the room, several people at my table asked each other if Tim had really said those comments because they were so shocking.
“Considering there were some influential people in the room, I question why someone such as Mayor Carol Adams did not speak up against Tim as I am sure Westport Taskforce and members of Council would be aware of their code of conduct.”
Transport director of workforce management and people and organisational development Geoff Grant wrote to Mrs Pritchard: “I thank you for bringing this matter to our attention and on behalf of the department apologise for any offence Mr Collins’ actions may have caused.”
Mr Collins apologised on September 10 in a letter to transport acting managing director Iain Cameron titled, ‘Unreserved apology by Mr Tim Collins in relation to sexist comments made at the Westport public event in Kwinana’.
“Whilst introducing Ms Nicole Lockwood, it has been noted that I referred to a dress worn by Ms Lockwood at her recent 40th birthday and that if she was wearing this same dress at the time of this Westport event in Kwinana, those in attendance would be too distracted to note the facts of her presentation. I unreservedly accept that my remarks caused offence, that they were inappropriate to the occasion and completely unnecessary as a means of introducing Nicole to the podium. “My comments were intended to begin proceedings in an informal, light hearted and relaxed manner. I freely acknowledge that my trite attempts at humour were poorly judged, have no place in this context and commit to taking much more care in the future.
“I feel deeply ashamed and remorseful to think that my comments might suggest otherwise.”
In 2018, Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said she was, “confident he (Mr Collins) will provide strong leadership”, in his role at Westport.
