At her first meeting as mayor in November, Cr Gaston announced she planned to keep councillors to time limits listed in the city council’s local laws. 

The law allows the mover of a motion to speak for five minutes and the seconder and other councillors to speak for three minutes. 

The mover is allowed a further two minutes to close the debate. 

At the start of Monday night’s meeting, the first for 2016, Cr Gaston again warned councillors they would be held to the limits. 

During debate on three notices of motion bought forward by Crs Peter Hulin, Peter Sycopoulis and Brian Kelson, the mayor’s decision drew the ire of the trio. 

Cr Kelson, who seconded Cr Hulin’s notice to return general business to the agenda, was cut short after asking a question of chief executive officer Bruce Anson. 

He only managed to get out a couple of sentences before his time was up. 

Cr Hulin was also cut short during debate, as was Cr Sycopoulis. 

Cr Sycopoulis indicated he would move a notice of motion in the future to remove the time limits. 

The move also drew comments from the gallery the mayor was trying to shut down debate and silence the three councillors.

After the meeting Cr Gaston told The Standard she had made the decision to enforce the time limits after her election as mayor. 

She said limits had been outlined in local laws for some years, but were rarely enforced. 

“Councillors should be able to make their points and sum up their arguments in the amount of time listed,” Cr Gaston said. 

“This is not my rule, it’s in the city’s local laws. It not about shutting down debate, it’s about making sure the issues are debated orderly. 

“They are local laws, they apply to every councillor equally. 

“I made my intentions to enforce the time limits clear when I became mayor and at the start of the meeting.”