Speaking to the Otago Daily Times yesterday, Mr Cooper yesterday said he had not "had a rush of blood to the head", but also had not "cooled down" since learning of the $27.7 million deal between QAC and AIAL, which gave the latter a 24.99% shareholding in Queenstown Airport.
The news the deal had been done was made public on Thursday morning last week, after councillors were told at a meeting on Wednesday night, which Mr Cooper described as "clandestine".
"It [the fallout from the deal] will continue, for sure, until it's cleaned up and the stupidity [is explained].
"That we had to latch ourselves on to Auckland Airport, it doesn't [make] a lot of sense ... We're not minnows in this at all.
"Queenstown and this area will [grow] as a tourist destination by standing on its own, not kowtowing to Auckland interests."
Mr Cooper had joined a group of 10 Queenstown businessmen, including former QAC chairman John Davies and Queenstown Chamber of Commerce chairman Alastair Porter, to review the deal and "be constructive", asking the council to reflect on the deal and "stand still" until the process had been reviewed.
He said the group formed on Friday, the day after the announcement was made, and consisted of "like-minded people" who wanted to "think it through".
"I think it's very important if you've got a grievance against a stupid decision that you just don't ruminate on it on your own; that you do something about it."
Mr Cooper said he had many concerns about the deal.
"I think they [the council] had ill-judgement the way they approached it. They held a clandestine meeting, which no-one would have known about. [That] is outside the rules.
"On that point I think the thing is very flawed.
"They are required, under the Local Government Act, to conduct themselves in a certain fashion, to protect themselves and commercial considerations; to be transparent and to inform the public. They have been miles from that and right out of line."
Of the QAC board, Mr Cooper said his understanding was the "first requirement" of the board was to keep the shareholder informed.
"Therefore, I don't understand why the mayor states this was all a surprise.
"Surely, the board are in a situation where they should either resign or tell the public exactly why, as a board, they didn't keep the shareholder - that's the people of Queenstown - totally aware of what was going on."
"To suddenly jump into this, as the mayor might suggest, and [hold] that clandestine meeting, makes it all a bit of a worry, really, and certainly outside the principles of fundamental board procedures.
"Somehow, either [Mr Geddes] got rolled by the board, or the board and he rolled the councillors in a meeting that wasn't a public meeting."
He said the community needed to be careful not to be "browbeaten" by its elected members.
"The three women [councillors] obviously look to be opposed ... The men, I don't think, have got the strength of their conviction.
"The stable should be cleaned out; the stallions retired and the mares kept."
Mr Geddes did not wish to comment when contacted last night.
