THEY say opposites attract, but that's certainly not the case with Bathurst councillors Jess Jennings and Alex Christian.
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Over the past two and a bit years since Cr Christian was first elected to council, the relationship between the two men who seem to be polar opposites in all they say and do has descended from mutual mistrust to outright contempt.
But we should probably have seen it coming.
Even before he was on council and before the pair had met it seemed Cr Christian had almost been plucked from central casting to oppose Cr Jennings.
They were on opposite sides of the last US presidential election (Cr Jennings actually flew to America to support Hillary Clinton's campaign while Cr Christian was photographed in a Donald Trump T-shirt celebrating the president's victory); they were on opposite sides of the Level 3 water restrictions vote; they were on opposite sides of the last mayoral election; and they even sit on opposite sides of the chamber.
And while a social media post from Cr Christian on Friday that depicted Cr Jennings as a clown was the lowest blow so far, neither is blameless in this feud.
Cr Jennings is an experienced politician and is quite adept at working the media.
He chooses his words carefully and takes the time to consider each statement he makes to journalists.
So when he told this newspaper (unprompted) that Cr Christian was trying to turn Bathurst "into the nanny state capital of Australia" by calling for a fence at the adventure playground, he was very deliberately looking for a reaction.
He certainly got that and while many believe Cr Christian's clown photo crossed a line, Cr Jennings cannot claim he did not provoke him.
But the question is (and has been for some time), will the animosity between this pair further erode what is already a fractured council or can the range of views they represent actually be a benefit?
We should be encouraged that there are councillors within the chamber bringing differing viewpoints to the debates because it would be a bland old place otherwise.
But there must also be a level of decorum within council and there should be a level of respect between colleagues.
That's not always the case on this council. And councillors Jennings and Christian are not the only culprits.
