Ian Pottinger: Invercargill Councillor on calls for Mayor Nobby Clark's resignation

Invercargill Mayor Nobby Clark has ignored requests for his resignation from his council today.  

Clark was found to have breached the code of conduct after comments he made at a United Fire Brigades' Association prize giving - which he blamed on surgery brain fade.  

The council voted to diminish his duties around public events, due to his health.  

Invercargill Councillor Ian Pottinger told Heather du Plessis-Allan “I don’t know if he’s going to listen to the council ruling.” 

LISTEN ABOVE. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now Noobby Clark has refused to resign as Imbercago mayor.
At a special council meeting today, the mayor had been
accused of calling firefighters at an event second class citizens,
and then insulting the MC at a dinner that he
recently attended by wrongly implying she was having an affair.
Councilor Rear Bond says, this is unacceptable.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
She is a businesswoman, a businesswoman that deserved a hell
of a lot more respect than she was given. To
imply that she was having an affair with the president
as one of the most horrific things that a female
professional can be accused of.

Speaker 1 (00:31):
Here's what the mayor had to say.

Speaker 3 (00:32):
I have already apologized in writing to the complainant. I
do not accept that the public complaint that is outside
the scope of this code of conduct should be dealt
with in this way.

Speaker 1 (00:45):
The council narrowly voted against asking the mayor to resign.
Ian Pottinger is an Inbicagol City councilor and with us
hey Ian, how did he manage to win that vote?

Speaker 4 (00:57):
Well, it was six or five councilors overseas. Nobby was
unable to vote, so left, I think I went around
the table, got the five ball, and then the acting chair,
the Deputy Mayor, was voted in favor not to ask
for his resignation.

Speaker 1 (01:16):
So you guys instead asked him to do fewer public
appearances for the remainder of the.

Speaker 4 (01:20):
Current Well, they wrote down some pretty weird resolutions and
in some ways, I don't know. Did you listen to
it today?

Speaker 3 (01:30):
No?

Speaker 1 (01:30):
No, no, I didn't listen to it.

Speaker 4 (01:32):
Okay. So what they resolved and I made sure that
they got their writing rights. They've acknowledged that he's on
the minister duties doing due to health condition, and so
what that plays into. I don't know how long I've got,
but there's a section of the Local Governments Act which

(01:52):
I'll be that that is going to be played out,
and I read it to you.

Speaker 1 (02:00):
Just summarize it. You know what does it say? So basically,
if they've got a health condition, that on you.

Speaker 4 (02:04):
Okay, So basically basically you can go to the district
court file on after David saying that the member is
not capable of doing this job, the judge looks for
that and then goes, oh okay, and then he asked
the member to prove that he's Okay, are you going
to do that? They've just open the avenue and I

(02:24):
warned them about this particular clause during the meeting.

Speaker 1 (02:27):
Yeah, okay, do you reckon? He's going to listen to
you though if you say please don't do as many appearances,
will he actually follow the Well.

Speaker 4 (02:33):
No, that's I don't know if he's going to listen
to the ruling a council, but he may have to
listen to the District Court judge.

Speaker 1 (02:39):
Okay, well, Ian, listen, best of luck and keep us posted.
Sorry for asking you not to read the Local Government Act.
I mean, I don't know how to say it nicely,
but there's there's dry there's some dry stuff there got
on you, Ian Pottinger in the Kago City councilor Lo
love a details guy.

Speaker 4 (02:56):
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