Dunedin City Councillor Benedict Ong has been removed from a council meeting discussing amalgamation proposals and asked to leave two public events within a week. Ong, who has faced several code of conduct complaints and been suspended from some council duties due to his behaviour, was ejected from a student protest on 29 July and a health debate on 1 August before being removed from a council meeting on 3 August.
During Monday’s council meeting, Ong questioned staff about the valuation of council assets ahead of a “potential marriage” with another council, asking whether commercial assets were properly valued and whether the Otago Regional Council would be dissolved if the city did not submit a voluntary amalgamation proposal. Fellow councillor Steve Walker called points of order, describing Ong’s questioning of staff as aggressive and disrespectful. Mayor Sophie Barker warned Ong to stop interrupting and ultimately ordered him to leave after he continued to talk over her. Ong refused initially, saying he did not want to become the main news story, but was eventually removed. The council later voted to work with Queenstown Lakes District Council to develop a Head Start proposal supporting a two unitary authority model for Otago, comprising an Inland Otago Unitary Authority and a Coastal Otago Unitary Authority.
At a University of Otago student protest against tertiary education cuts, Ong spoke loudly when not selected to address the gathering and was asked to settle down. Organisers described his behaviour as “a little bit disorderly” but “pretty harmless”, noting he had no more right to speak than anyone else despite being a councillor. At a Big Hairy Network pre-election health debate, Ong was asked to leave after attempting to speak without submitting a question as instructed and was eventually escorted out by security after being booed by the audience.
Ong has defended his actions, saying he was wrongfully barred from voting at the council meeting and prevented from asking questions on behalf of ratepayers. He claims his treatment at public events was politically motivated and that he was simply trying to represent his constituents on issues including tertiary education funding and university spending priorities.
Read the full article at RNZ – Political News →
Source: RNZ – Political News. This summary was published by Input Ltd via amalgamation.nz, New Zealand’s central resource for local government amalgamation news and council merger updates.
