General business turned into the Moss Vale inquisition as Deputy Mayor Ken Halstead went on the attack over the naming of councillor Jim Mauger as the source of some of the allegations in a council press release late last month.

Cr Halstead made clear his dissatisfaction with how the information was released and even suggested it might have been defamatory to release Mauger's name.

He accused general manger Mike Hyde of being "hell bent" on singling out Cr Mauger for "special treatment" and asked if Mr Hyde intended to release information on other complaints councillors might make to Mr Hyde.

Cr Halstead painted himself as the defender of whistleblowers and threatened Cr Gair and Mr Hyde that he would be watching them closely. He added the community should be grateful to Cr Mauger for going to ICAC.

The mayor defended his actions by stating he had told Cr Mauger he would be named in a press release regarding the ICAC enquires, due to comments he made publicly last August. He said Cr Mauger didn't want to be named in the release initially but then said he was "okay" with it.

Seeming almost ready to explode with rage Cr Mauger waited patiently for his chance to speak and when he did all hell broke lose.

Cr Mauger said he had been ostracised for allegedly going to ICAC and disagreed with the chain of events Mr Hyde and Cr Gair presented in explaining why Cr Mauger was named in the media release. Cr Mauger thumped his first on the table to emphasis his point.

Cr Gair hit back that Mr Mauger was aware he would be named.

"That's how I remember it," the mayor said.

The Robertson resident said he took one compliant to Mr Hyde confidentially and then Mr Hyde informed ICAC. He told the pair to "get the bloody facts rights" and after calling Cr Gair "my friend" he corrected himself to say "my one time friend".

One observer noted that the gallery had just witnessed the end of a long time friendship between Cr Gair and Cr Mauger. There was confusion between all parties about who said what to whom and when.