Team Doyle members Sue Stanley, Kevin Louey, Beverley Pinder-Mortimer, Hope Wei, Susan Riley, Arron Wood, Robert Doyle, Nicholas Reece and Tessa Sullivan outside Town Hall ahead of the 2016 election. He will have several days to make comments before the findings are delivered to council chief executive Ben Rimmer​. Cr Doyle has been on leave since December 17, while the investigation took place. At least four women have made sexual harassment allegations against the lord mayor since mid December. Ms Sullivan, a member of Team Doyle, quit after alleging that Cr Doyle had harassed and indecently assaulted her.

Cr Oke, a Greens member, has told investigators that Cr Doyle tried to kiss her, and clutched her thigh under a table in a separate incident. A separate independent investigation was ordered by Health Minister Jill Hennessy in recent weeks into allegations of sexual harassment by Cr Doyle at a function held by Melbourne Health, which he chairs. The Age revealed that a third woman had made an official complaint about Cr Doyle repeatedly touching her leg at a Melbourne Health gala dinner. A fourth woman, Melbourne photographer Dianne Mallas, told The Australian Cr Doyle touched her inner thigh and brushed against her breasts in 1997, during two meetings in his electorate office while he was the state member for Malvern. While the former state Liberal leader's political career hangs in the balance, factions within his own team appear to be mobilising a new mayoral ticket in his absence.

They are said to include former deputy mayor Susan Riley and Beverley Pinder-Mortimer, who was returned to council this month by countback to replace Ms Sullivan. A Future Melbourne committee meeting on Tuesday, February 6, will be the first formal gathering of councillors this year. Questions are expected to be posed to councillors at that meeting by members of the public, former councillors and from within their own ranks. It is believed explosive new information will also be revealed at the meeting about the culture at Town Hall, including who was aware of allegations against Cr Doyle before they became public. There has also been speculation this week about plans for a vote of no confidence in Cr Doyle at the February 6 meeting.

Such a vote would make no material difference, however, to the balance of power in the chamber, as Team Doyle still has a majority with six votes, two of which are held by the acting lord mayor, councillor Arron Wood. It will be up to Mr Rimmer to decide what, if anything, to do with the findings, including whether to refer them to the Local Government Inspectorate, which could then refer them to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. The Councillor Conduct Panel and VCAT are responsible for assessing applications of serious or gross misconduct, respectively. If a panel makes a finding of serious misconduct against a councillor, it may suspend the councillor from office for up to six months



If VCAT makes a finding of gross misconduct against a councillor, it may order the councillor to be disqualified for up to eight years. Typically, a report of this nature would be presented to councillors by the CEO for consideration, and include a right of reply.

Councillors would then have the option to cast a vote of no confidence in the alleged perpetrator. Cr Doyle, who has been lord mayor for nine years, has denied all allegations and vowed to clear his name. His publicist was contacted for comment on Friday. She reiterated Cr Doyle's previous comment that he would not return to council until the investigation was concluded. Speculation about Cr Doyle's future has ramped up inside the council during his absence, this week spilling over into the public arena with Cr Riley and Cr Pinder-Mortimer suggesting that he resign. Cr Riley told local website CBD News the lord mayor should exit "gracefully", arguing it would be too difficult for him to return to his role in light of recent allegations.

"It's difficult to see how he can return to his position with the respect of the council and the community," Cr Riley said. Cr Pinder-Mortimer concurred. "Perhaps he could consider closing the door on this chapter of his life so he can rest, recharge and become reinvigorated for his next public role," she told CBD News. During the 2016 council election, Cr Doyle demoted the two women, pushing both his deputy Cr Riley and Cr Pinder-Mortimer on to hard-to-win spots on his ticket. Loading Neither Cr Riley nor Cr Pinder-Mortimer responded to repeated requests for comment this week.

With Miki Perkins and Melissa Cunningham