Dunedin Mayor Sophie Barker told Cr Ong to up his game or consider resigning after councillors voted to strip him of more council roles.
Behind closed doors yesterday, councillors accepted the findings of independent investigator Steph Dyhrberg and decided Cr Ong had again breached the council’s code of conduct.
The breach, his second in as many months, related to Cr Ong sharing commercially sensitive information on a possible Forsyth Barr Stadium hotel development.
Before the meeting, Cr Ong said he had no intention of resigning.
‘‘I should have a T-shirt that just says, ‘never’.
‘‘Maybe I should have it tattooed on my forehead, because a lot of people say ‘you must stay on and serve'.’’
Cr Ong briefly entered the council chambers, but returned to tell media he had been barred.
‘‘It appears that our council CEO and our mayor, who are both not right, are not particularly bright either, because I cannot be in that non-public meeting right now to face my trial.’’
However, city services manager Scott MacLean told the councillor he was welcome to attend.
Questions on if he was being performative did not receive clear answers and Cr Ong said ratepayers were not fed-up with his behaviour.
He did not accept his actions had jeopardised the council's commercial interests.
In a statement, Ms Barker said Cr Ong’s continued conduct was ‘‘extremely disappointing’’ and misrepresented arrangements with the council.
Cr Ong was welcome to participate in the full process and had Ms Dyhrberg’s report to help him do so, she said.
The meeting’s agenda said the report was considered in the non-public section due to commercial sensitivity.
Overall, Ms Barker said Cr Ong’s behaviour was distracting and ‘‘hugely frustrating’’.
She urged him to review his conduct and live up to his oath as councillor, or consider resigning.
The council suspended Cr Ong from all committees and subcommittees for nine months.
He could participate in public and closed full council meetings.
After the decision, Cr Ong told the Otago Daily Times ‘‘almost everything’’ of his role as councillor had been stripped from him.
‘‘Do not test the support I have in our community further,’’ he said.
The ODT asked councillors what they made of the situation and if they considered its national media coverage embarrassing.
Few wished to comment.
Cr Doug Hall said it was ‘‘never ideal’’ for internal governance matters to attract national attention but concerns were being addressed through proper channels.
He and Cr Steve Walker noted Cr Ong was not barred from the meeting.
‘‘He weirdly appeared to bar himself, which is only embarrassing for him, not to mention ... bizarre,’’ Cr Walker said.
Cr Mickey Treadwell said he was embarrassed local media covered one councillor so much.
Cr Ong has repeatedly run afoul of council confidentiality requirements — earlier this month he was told he could only access some material under supervision and could not attend closed workshops.
At the weekend, he shared on Facebook details of legal action he claimed a former council executive was taking against the council.
He also sent an email from council staff asking his post be taken down to media.
Yesterday, he appeared to breach confidentiality again, telling media he and Cr Lee Vandervis were the only councillors not to sign non-disclosure agreements on the matter.
Cr Vandervis told the ODT he avoided signing such agreements where possible, but was ‘‘also careful to use my discretion and not disclose anything that would negatively impact Dunedin citizens’ interests’’.
On March 25, Cr Ong was found to be in breach of the code of conduct over an email about a staff member.
The council asked him to consider resigning and he declined.
He was removed from two representative roles and a portfolio role and as a result his remuneration dropped from about $100,000 to almost $84,500.
