Allegations of 'Trump-style' politics in coup to oust community board chairwoman
Allegations of “Trump-style” politics and “despicable” actions have beset a Christchurch community board as members of the Labour-aligned People’s Choice move to oust the board’s chairwoman.
Five People’s Choice members of the Waikura/Linwood-Central-Heathcote board – including city councillors Jake McLellan and Yani Johanson – have written to Christchurch City Council chief executive Dawn Baxendale outlining their intention to hold a vote on November 30 to remove chairwoman Alexandra Davids.
The move came less than a month after People’s Choice member Sunita Gautam was elected to the board in a by-election following the death of long-time member Sally Buck.
Gautam’s win gives People’s Choice a majority on the nine-person board. The Local Government Act says a vote to remove a chairperson can be called for if the majority of members support it.
Buck stepped down from the chairwoman role in April and one of her last actions was to vote for Davids as her replacement as chairwoman.
McLellan said Davids and many other members always understood another vote would be needed after the by-election.
But Davids and the other three independent members on the board – Cr Sara Templeton, Tim Lindley and Darrell Latham – said there was no such understanding.
Templeton labelled the antics as nothing more than “people playing politics” when they should be getting on with the job of advocating on behalf of the community.
Latham said he was “saddened and incredibly disappointed” in the actions of the other five board members.
“This Trump, ‘lets roll them’, political style has no place nor is it befitting of a community board working to do the best for the Linwood-Central-Heathcote communities.”
Lindley said the actions of the five were “despicable and disgraceful”.
He had high expectations of Davids and she had exceeded those, he said.
Calling All Puzzle Masters! Can You Solve This?
When John was six years old he hammered a nail into his favorite tree to mark his height.
Ten years later at age sixteen, John returned to see how much higher the nail was.
If the tree grew by five centimetres each year, how much higher would the nail be?
Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.
Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
Win this brand new home!
Experience the perfect blend of country charm and city convenience in Clarks Beach, Auckland!
For just $15 a ticket, you could win this brand-new, fully furnished Jennian home, valued at over $1 million.
This home offers three bedrooms, spacious kitchen and living areas, and a double garage.
Whether you decide to make it your dream home, a holiday retreat, a rental property or simply sell it, it’s still a life-changing prize.
Don’t wait—get your tickets today at heartlottery.org.nz.
What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.
Loading…
