PHOTO
A Dunedin city councillor was advised to stop embarrassing himself yesterday.
During a discussion about Three Waters reform, Cr Lee Vandervis tried to start a spat with Ngai Tahu representative Gabrielle Huria, who had referred to the desirability of equity of access to safe drinking water.
Relying on a Wikipedia definition of equity as "ownership of assets", Cr Vandervis said equity of access was a concept that made no sense.
Another meaning for equity, in the Collins English Dictionary, is "the quality of being fair".
Dunedin Mayor Aaron Hawkins said equity of access was a concept understood by councillors.
"Councillor, you’re embarrassing yourself," he told Cr Vandervis.
Cr Vandervis also raised concerns about ownership of water assets under the Government’s reform agenda and a more prominent planned role for iwi.
He challenged Ms Huria: "Why would we give our assets — billions of dollars’ worth — to you, when we’re happy with what we’ve got?"
Ms Huria said Ngai Tahu did not want ownership of water infrastructure.
Councils would collectively own assets intended to be run by regional water entities under the planned reforms, she said.
Her comment about equity of access was about some villages being connected to services and others not, she explained.