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FORMER Wangaratta councillor Julian Fidge has disputed the medical reasons given by senior council staff, including chief executive Doug Sharp, for leaving their positions last year.
Dr Fidge said at VCAT he was aware of a memo from Mr Sharp to mayor Rozi Parisotto raising concerns about the impact of regular criticisms of him in the media.
Mr Sharp stepped down as chief executive after collapsing at work and being taken to hospital for medical attention.
But Dr Fidge said he didn’t believe his “mild observations of his obstruction of council” had any impact on his health.
“I am an experienced GP,” Dr Fidge said. “We make our diagnosis in about seven seconds on average in a typical consultation.
“Whenever Mr Sharp was around me he was filled with energy.
“He was quite aggressive and confrontational.
“I have no reason to believe my conduct was making him anything, but angry.”
Dr Fidge was also critical of the decision by the entire council management team to leave council at the same time last year.
“They had taken industrial action in a dishonest, deceitful way,” he said.
“These were matters of enormous public interest and I was being asked questions about what was going on in council.”