Council goes quiet on Walker’s ejection

The Dunedin City Council is refusing to say why a councillor who was present during the public part of a council meeting was not there when a vote was held behind closed doors relating to the censure of a community board chairman for a racist comment.

Cr Steve Walker — who has since commented racism is never minor — was not among the 11 council members who determined unanimously on Tuesday Strath Taieri Community Board chairman Barry Williams should be censured for a material breach of the code of conduct.

Cr Walker had been among 12 elected representatives present in the public part of the meeting.

The breach of the code was discussed in the public-excluded section of the meeting that followed.

Asked what happened, Cr Walker said he was not in a position where he could disclose context.

‘‘I was asked to leave the meeting by the mayor after refusing to retract a comment I made during discussions around the Strath Taieri matter,’’ Cr Walker said.

He was unable to provide further details.

The council declined to answer a query from the Otago Daily Times.

Dunedin Mayor Jules Radich did not answer calls yesterday afternoon, nor reply to an email.

The council voted 11-0 to uphold the findings of the investigation and to send a letter of censure to Mr Williams, it disclosed in partial unconfirmed draft minutes.

The letter, expressing strong disapproval of Mr Williams’ conduct and asking him to consider resigning as board chairman, was written on behalf of the council by Mr Radich.

A vote approving the content of the letter was passed 10-1.

Cr Lee Vandervis voted against.