Mayoral hopeful silent on claim

Barry Timmings
Barry Timmings
A Dunedin mayoral candidate has refused to answer allegations he ''grossly misrepresented'' the comments of a sitting councillor.

Barry Timmings would not respond to questions on whether claims he made about Cr Lee Vandervis last week were false.

Instead he would only repeat he was opposed to what he described as ''exclusion'' and ''intolerance'' at the Dunedin City Council.

Mr Timmings told an Otago University Students' Association council candidate forum last week about ''a sitting councillor'' who had told disabled candidate Joshua Perry he should not stand.

Mr Perry named Cr Lee Vandervis as the councillor he had talked to.

But he did not say Cr Vandervis told him not to stand. Instead he said he had told him he ''wouldn't get into council, as nobody can understand me''.

Cr Vandervis said after the forum Mr Timmings' comments were ''completely not true'', and had ''grossly'' misrepresented what he said.

''It's scandalous that Timmings brought that up to have a go at me.''

Mr Timmings said this week he was '''not playing the person; I'm playing the point''.

''The wider point relates to the exclusionary nature of the current council.''

Asked about the difference between the statement he made, and the statement Mr Perry made about what Cr Vandervis had said, Mr Timmings would not respond.

Instead he repeated he was ''not playing the person'', and the council was exclusionary.

Asked if he was grossly misrepresenting what Cr Vandervis said, he would only say he had no tolerance for discrimination.

When it was suggested that reply did not answer the question, he said he thought it did.

''Josh knows the comments that were made to him, and I think the comments made were exclusionary in nature.''

david.loughrey@odt.co.nz

 

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