Petition seeks answers in Wairoa council investigation

Wairoa district Mayor Craig Little was the focus of a complaint of alleged sexual harassment, which was later withdrawn. Photo File.

An online petition seeking answers relating to an investigation of a now-historical and ultimately withdrawn Wairoa District Council employee complaint against the district mayor has both surprised and confused council chief executive officer Steven May.

The petition has been sparked by resident Murray Olsen, who says that despite revelations last month of the costs to the council many people in the town and district still want answers on the finer points.

Both the CEO and Olsen are more recent arrivals in Wairoa and had nothing to do with the matter or any of its issues.

An employee now no longer with the council sparked the investigation with a complaint of sexual harassment against mayor Craig Little in 2017.

The investigation was terminated when the complainant withdrew, not objecting to the decision of no further action.

The council declined to release details three years ago but some details, including costs of $55,652 paid by the council in respect of council and complainant expenses, were released as a result of a Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act request lodged by former long-serving councillor Denys Caves. Caves at least twice sought the mayoralty in elections before that in which Little was elected in 2013.

Olsen has sought further answers in another LGOIMA request through the council, wanting a breakdown of the costs, and says his petition seeks support for getting the answers to other questions.

He asks in the petition who made the decision "to make this payment out of public money"; if it was a decision of the full council and who voted for it; whether the council was not involved, why not; who decided to refuse the original LGOIMA request; why people who made the decision "think that it's acceptable to spend our money on private matters"; and what steps have been taken to ensure "nothing like this happens again?"

CEO May confirmed Olsen had posed similar questions to the council and his request was being dealt with as an Official Information Act request, as the council had been advised to do with many written requests.

He said he was confused as to the purposes of the "petition", and said it appeared to be seeking support simply for asking the questions.

Olsen complained online that the recent release of information came "three years after the event" and only following an Ombudsman's decision.

Craig LIttle told Hawke's Bay Today he was unable to comment, the advice having been for it to be handled by the CEO, but he said he welcomed ratepayers asking questions and seeking answers "if it's based on fact".

By mid-morning Tuesday, the petition had attracted over 240 online signatures.