During the ordinary meeting - the last before the December 4 election - Cr Robinson referred to Cr Clausen's "bedroom antics".

The comment was made when the council was considering a motion about the number of code of conduct complaints in the past year.

Cr John Church (IND) had moved the motion as recommended by staff and initially said the code of conduct had been "weaponised" this term, but he withdrew the comment at Cr Clausen's request. He then spoke about the financial cost of investigating complaints and said it "would be helpful to know who instigated" them.

Cr Clausen responded, saying it was "extraordinary" for Cr Church to "blame code of conduct complaints on those who have made them, rather than those who had breached the code" and "in many cases, repeatedly".

He then criticised Cr Church for supporting Cr Robinson during past code of conduct investigations, saying Cr Church had "15 occasions where he could have stood up against the homophobic and offensive comments from his colleagues that we saw through the code of conduct process".

Cr Robinson, who was forced to publicly apologise in 2020 for homophobic slurs he made about Cr Clausen, then entered the discussion.

"If John Church says anything, and says it's black ... old Deccy jumps up and says it's white," Cr Robinson, who parted ways with the Newcastle Independents alliance in July, said. "To think councillor Church can be responsible for what I say about you, and your bedroom antics, is something else. How many codes of conduct have your name on it? Tell us how many ... you've put in."

Later in the meeting, during a debate about the council's financials, Cr Robinson said he was "traumatised" thousands had been spent on a rainbow crossing in recent years. "You talk about homophobic and gay slurs and all of this, I am still traumatised," he said. "It killed me from behind, this, let me tell ya. It hammered me."

Cr Emma White (ALP) interjected by moving a point of order and said those comments had been "directed at us, deliberately" in reference to her and Cr Clausen, who are both gay.

Cr Robinson said he did not know of Cr White's sexuality, but was told by the lord mayor to withdraw "all of his comments".

"I withdraw my comments to Cr Clausen and to Cr White, who now I know is openly gay," he said.

Cr Church then distanced himself from the comments.

"I am distressed by this debate," he said. "I apologise Cr White, I apologise Cr Clausen, it is never an intention of me or my colleagues to engage in any sort of homophobic assault, whether verbally or personally or otherwise."

Cr Clausen said on Wednesday he would "always call out homophobic, sexist and discriminatory behaviour" and he intended to "take this matter further".

Cr Robinson said he considered the matter over after withdrawing his comments.

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