depa v Thaler makes it to the front page of the Sydney Morning Herald
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- Published: Tuesday, 16 June 2026 12:55
Our original hearing dates set for 18 and 19 May had to be abandoned. Part-time Councillor Thaler had met with his senior solicitor in Parramatta for 4 hours on the Sunday before the hearings and the poor lawyer had to admit himself to hospital on his way home with a dramatic gastro crisis. Understandable, when you’ve spent time with Cr Thaler.
Nevertheless, over a messy day with six adjournments we pressed the notorious serial pest to agree to some behavioural standards until the next hearing dates on 1 and 2 June. In the meantime, his second suspension would expire before we returned to the Commission and we feared for our member’s safety and wellbeing. He refused - he believes he does nothing wrong.
On Monday 1 May as the Applicant, depa had previously filed two affidavits, I gave evidence and was then cross examined. This was followed by the evidence in affidavits of Snowy Monaro Regional Council’s GM and depa member Noreen Vu. There were some media outlets interested in this and the proceedings were available online to them.
This is how the ABC reported on the first day under the heading “SMRC CEO accuses Andrew Thaler of bullying”.
But it was the second day that drew the most critical press against Thaler’s behaviour. This was published electronically that afternoon and on the front page of the Sydney Morning Herald the following day under the heading “’Idiot', 'monster', 'witch': Serial pest Andrew Thaler’s latest day in court did not go well”.
The case concluded that afternoon pending further written submissions by Thaler’s lawyer and our barrister in response last Friday.
Commissioner Muir has reserved his decision. We claimed a seven-point Anti-Bullying Order, the Commission has the right to make an order which, given Thaler’s propensity to appeal, could be broader, or narrower, but it will be extremely carefully drafted.
It has been a grim process, but there are some things he says and does that make him a real entertainer (unintentionally of course). The latest is a frenetic accusation of GM Noreen Vu intentionally cutting off his email access since his suspension was lifted.
He posted in his Facebook account online last week, “Have you had your emails blocked by #snowymonaro Council??". This was followed with “Ooohhh... This is interesting because my emails are being blocked by #noreenvu“.
On Saturday, in an SMS to the GM, he really vented his spleen:
