A Mackenzie district councillor was aggressive and abusive when he pushed two senior council staff members in a heated exchange at their Fairlie office, a report has found.Councillor Frank Hocken, 89, has been absent from council meetings since April when the council's chief executive laid a complaint about his behaviour.The council requested an independent report into the complaint, which was presented to councillors by consultant Bruce Robertson at a meeting on Tuesday.Robertson said Hocken went to the council office to raise a Twizel ratepayer's concern about a planning issue with chief executive Angela Oosthuizen. The issue indirectly involved Hocken's family company, Mackenzie Properties.The report said the office meeting between Hocken and Oosthuizen quickly became tense and Hocken was shouting.A senior manager went into the room to ask Hocken to quieten down, then CCTV footage showed Hocken slamming the door in their face.The manager claimed Hocken pushed them as he slammed the door, the report said.A second senior manager went into the office to try to calm the situation and closed the door.Hocken quickly ended the meeting and went to leave when the second manager said Hocken pushed them out of the way.Oosthuizen confirmed the managers' accounts of the confrontation to Robertson.The report said that "clearly in a pent-up state, [Hocken] could not manage opening the security door into the reception area and started kicking the door, which was subsequently opened by the second senior manager".The manager then followed Hocken out of the building and the pair had a short verbal altercation.Robertson said parts of the exchange were captured on CCTV footage, except Hocken pushing staff in the chief executive's office because there was no coverage."I have listened to the participants and I have placed weight on the CE's own evidence that indeed councillor Hocken did push both senior managers. I conclude, on the balance of probabilities, that he did push them," he said.The report said Hocken did not dispute what happened, although he denied pushing or manhandling the managers.Robertson said some people had characterised Hocken's behaviour as assault but that would need to be determined by police, if required.He understood police were not investigating, although the confrontation was a breach of the council's code of conduct."I consider the event to be aggressive and abusive to all staff involved and represents a health and safety issue," he said.Robertson recommended the council send Hocken a letter of censure, require him to send a letter of apology to the senior managers and chief executive, and that his future dealings with staff go through the mayor or her deputy.He also suggested the matter be referred to the council committee that deals with health and safety issues.'Get over it': HockenHocken told councillors he was "out of order" on the day.He said the situation could have been resolved by a call from the chief executive, thereby saving the council $40,000 examining the complaint. RNZ has sought to confirm the figure."I don't hold grudges. I've had many arguments in my life. I've taken councils to court, I've taken Meridian to court, and I usually win. I don't back down, that is my nature," he said."When I first put my name forward to the council the CEO said to me, 'I worry about you, Frank'. I said, 'Don't worry about me, Angela, I worry about you but we won't worry at this time because I'm not elected yet. We'll worry about that if I get elected, and maybe you've got to learn to live with me'."Hocken said the council was weaponising the code of conduct process to silence a vocal critic, rather than examining its own shortfalls, although he said he should not have stood for council at his age."I'm about change, I am vocal about the issues that matter to voters and where I see problems. I'm a voice for the ratepayer. This is my style and that is why people voted for me. Get over it," he said.Hocken accepted he had raised his voice and spoken out of turn and apologised to Oosthuizen, but he did not back down from his decision to raise the issue."I am unapologetic for my vocal drive for reform and more open council. We are now over eight months into a new term and we have unchanged staff attitudes. A lack of performance, focusing on issues, zero restructuring, rising debt levels and surprise, surprise, surprise, large wage increases," he said.Hocken said the ratepayer he spoke on behalf of was frustrated by his dealings with the council and was yet to receive a response to a formal complaint lodged on 21 April."She had bloody weeks to look into it," Hocken said, becoming agitated."Why isn't she in control of the planning department or whoever?"He said he felt like he was treated with a lack of respect and indifference that day.Councillor Mark Adams, who chaired the meeting for mayor Scott Aronsen, asked Hocken if he would apologise to the two council managers.Hocken said if staff apologised to him, he would apologise to them.After further questioning by Adams about an apology, Hocken said he would respond in writing.Robertson said there were wider issues with the council, which were addressed in the report under a heading "other observations".The report said all those interviewed expressed concerns about the culture in the council chamber, the council generally, and communication between elected members and staff.Robertson said councillors used direct and blunt language, including Hocken, to seek staff action and accountability but it was difficult to accept that their tone and style and treatment of staff reflected the council code of conduct's value of respect or engendered trust and confidence.The council passed recommendations that Hocken interact with staff only through the mayor or her deputy, that he be sent a letter of censure, the matter be referred to the council's health and safety committee and that Hocken write a letter of apology to the two staff members and CEO.The council did not agree to a recommendation to "note the other observations".