Dunedin’s mayor says stronger powers are needed to address poor councillor behaviour following the actions of one elected official which are “harming [the] council’s reputation”. It took twenty minutes for Benedict Ong to be tossed from a Dunedin City Council meeting on Monday, over behaviour his peers found disorderly and “aggressive”. It was the third event Cr Ong has been asked to leave in the past week, though he maintained his ejection was a politically-motivated attempt to censor him. Asked after the meeting, Dunedin Mayor Sophie Barker said she believed New Zealand’s codes of conduct were not strong enough to manage behaviour such as Cr Ong’s — “especially regarding his recent behaviour in public harming council’s reputation”. Ms Barker supported stronger powers to deal with poor councillor behaviour and would “certainly” advocate to the government for stronger codes of conduct. Councillors met on Monday to discuss their position on amalgamation. Sitting with a copy of Lord of the Flies propped in front of him, Cr Ong appeared agitated as he attempted to ask questions of staff. As Cr Ong veered toward a speech, Ms Barker told him to ask his question, before Cr Steve Walker called a point of order for disrespect, saying Cr Ong’s “aggressive questioning of staff, Mayor Sophie, is absolutely unacceptable”. OTAGO IMAGES/OTAGO DAILY TIMESDunedin city councillor Benedict Ong questions a point of order against him at Monday’s meeting, before he was ejected. Photo: Gregor Richardson Ms Barker upheld the point of order, though Cr Ong protested and suggested Cr Walker had not read his papers. “How dare you,” Cr Walker replied. Minutes later, as Cr Ong spoke over the mayor, Cr Walker raised a second point of order — “this councillor is continuously bringing this meeting under disorder”, he said. Again, Ms Barker upheld the point of order and warned Cr Ong he would be ejected if he continued to disrupt the meeting. Under the council’s standing orders, the ruling of the meeting’s chair, in this case Ms Barker, is final and not open to discussion. When he continued to speak over her, Ms Barker told Cr Ong to leave. The meeting was adjourned while he was escorted to the door by a security guard, protesting all the while. Immediately after he was ejected, Cr Ong told the Otago Daily Times he did not accept he was being disruptive or that he had breached standing orders. “I can’t help if standing orders are abused to censor and silence me once again and ban me from my rightful right to vote.” [Missing Credit]Cr Benedict Ong (seated, centre) packs up his belongings after being ejected from Monday’s Dunedin City Council meeting, watched on by city services general manager Scott MacLean and Dunedin Mayor Sophie Barker. Photo: Gregor Richardson Asked if he felt he should change his behaviour in light of the ejection, Cr Ong said his actions were livestreamed for all to judge. On Saturday, he was removed from a general election debate by police, later following two attendees down the street and on Wednesday was escorted out of a student protest. Ms Barker earlier said anyone who felt intimidated by Cr Ong should call the police. Last month, Wellington deputy mayor Ben McNulty used Cr Ong as an example of ‘‘almost existential threats to democracy’’ and asked stronger government legislation could be developed to address such cases of poor behaviour. ruby.shaw@odt.co.nz
