It is not clear if Cr Ong intended a comment from him on Facebook to be read that way, but it was plain how it was generally received.
The struggling Dunedin city councillor seemed to say Dunedin was his home town, not his birthplace, several people agreed.
If Cr Ong was not born in Dunedin, this would contradict his election advertising and what appears to be a formal legal document he signed in September last year.
‘‘Proud to be born here’’ was what he said in August under a photo of himself at Queen Mary Maternity Centre.
In his Facebook post, Cr Ong responded to an article by The Spinoff, which included mentioning he was born in Dunedin.
Within a convoluted sentence, Cr Ong indicated he preferred ‘‘home town’’, apparently quibbling with language he had previously used himself.
The Otago Daily Times sought clarification from Cr Ong.
He did not explain what he meant.
