Alf Filipaina: South Auckland Councillor on Wayne Brown's controversial 'Pacific victims' comments

Two South Auckland councillors are accusing the city's mayor of hypocrisy. 

Wayne Brown hit out at councillors for not attending meetings. 

Lotu Fuli and Alf Filipaina pointed to official data showing they'd outperformed Brown in attendance. 

In response, Brown claimed they were 'being Pacific victims'.  

Filipaina says Brown is the one playing the race card. 

"I think he just wants people to bow down to him - and I'm not that person."

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Together do for ce Ellen.

Speaker 2 (00:02):
It looks like Auckland's Mayor Wayne Brown's got himself into
a spot of bother. He's accused two South Auckland councilors
of not turning up to council enough, but then they've
hit back with stats that show they actually turn up
more than he does, and then he's accused them of
quote doing what they always do, being Pacific victims. Monaco
ward counselor Philippina is with us right now.

Speaker 1 (00:20):
Hey, elf, Hi, they congratulations to by the way, Yeah,
thanks Mary, that's all right.

Speaker 2 (00:29):
It was seven months ago, but I'm going to take
I know, thanks.

Speaker 1 (00:32):
That was the first time first time I've spoken. Now. Yeah,
interesting how he's sitting out at PACIFICA. I wonder what
happens if because of my MOLDI blood. I wonder if
that's next.

Speaker 2 (00:45):
Well jeez, now, how did it get into the race thing?
This seems bizarre to me that it suddenly went from
attendance to this.

Speaker 1 (00:51):
I don't know. And and but this is what happens
when you have somebody that wants to get yes people
around that table. This is what happens. I mean, the
port we stop that from going overseas the operations. I mean, yeah,
I think he just wants people to bow down to

(01:12):
him and I'm not that person. Definitely not else.

Speaker 2 (01:16):
You are, I mean, according to the stats, you are,
definitely You and lotso are definitely turning up to council
more than he does, which is a laugh. But what
about the workshops, he says the workshops is a different matter.
Are you turning up to the workshops as well?

Speaker 1 (01:29):
So we go online for the workshops, we may turn
up for the workshops. But I know, from my perspective,
if I don't end up going to the workshops, if
I'm doing other council business, I take the time to
talk to the staff or get people to bring me
back the information. Now, when he said in the starter

(01:51):
call that that's where all the work's done, all the
work gets done at those committee meetings, the Committee of
the Whole and the governing body meetings, that's where the
decision has made. So I don't know which tangent he's
trying to get on, but you know, playing the racist
card that that is not the card that he should
be playing. So you know that's why. But even the workshops,

(02:13):
what happens is that there are discussions I go to
those workshops, whether they be in person or online by
tend and if I don't, I end up going back
to the staff or getting information off Nexus, which is
the app that council uses to have all the information.
So I don't know where he's going.

Speaker 2 (02:33):
You guy's going to be able to sort this out.

Speaker 1 (02:36):
Oh not with Wayne, because Wayne is the type of
person that wants his way in no way that's it's
it's either his way or the highway. So we won't
sort it up this way because he'll he'll just keep
on using it because it's election and he wants his
yes people to be around that table, and he convinced
obviously some people to run under his ticket. I'll be

(02:58):
watching to see how much he puts into their campaign
when the financial and the expenses come out. That's what
I'll be doing.

Speaker 2 (03:06):
Well, thanks very much for your time, best of luck
with everything. Al Philippina South Aakland councilor attacked by wayneb.
But we asked Wayne to come on the show, but
Wayne didn't want to come on the show.

Speaker 1 (03:14):
For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive listen live to
news talks.

Speaker 2 (03:18):
They'd be from four pm weekdays or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio