McKenzie said it was up to council to decide if any other action would be taken. Cr Rebecca Amundsen said a public apology was requested because the chairs committee felt the incorrect comments painted the council in a bad light. Given Shadbolt declined, Amundsen put up a motion at Tuesday s council meeting which stated that: “The council record its concern about the factually incorrect statements His Worship the Mayor made in the ODT when he claimed that he had been denied one on one IT training by the council, and [council’s] disappointment that he has failed to correct the facts, and to apologise in an equivalent public forum for the harm caused to the organisation.”
Sir Tim Shadbolt falls out with council over lack of IT training nzherald.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nzherald.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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Invercargill City Councillor Ian Pottinger says the new media protocol introduced at the council is unnecessary. (File photo).
An Invercargill city councillor sees no need for a new media protocol as discussions on whether to revisit the topic continues at the council.
The council last week voted in favour of introducing new media protocol which included asking elected members to “focus on issues and activities when speaking to media rather than the actions or decisions of other elected members”. Mayor Sir Tim Shadbolt suggested it limited free speech, deputy mayor Nobby Clark said it bordered on a gagging order, and Cr Lindsay Abbott felt sanitised by the protocol.
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Invercargill City Council s independent appointee, and governance group chair, Jeff Grant speak to media about the council s new media protocols. Council s external appointee and governance group chair Jeff Grant, Cr Rebecca Amundsen, and chief executive Clare Hadley fronted media on Friday. They stressed the introduction of the media protocols was not a case of muzzling elected members. They did not agree that the protocols put further restrictions on elected members’ ability to speak openly in the public. Grant did acknowledge there were others who felt the wording of the protocols inhibited what elected members could say in the future.
“When matters arise I will talk to matters when I think I should, Abbott said.
Robyn Edie/Stuff Clark went as far as suggesting the protocols bordered on a gagging order. “We have the right to be quite open and democratic about what we do and to be a minority voice if need be,” the deputy mayor said. He felt the wording of the protocols meant if he spoke out publicly against a majority decision in the future it could open him up for a Code of Conduct complaint. The media protocols have stemmed from an independent report into the council’s governance which was put together by Richard Thompson.