Another councillor has become embroiled in a saga surrounding a privacy-breach victim who has been pursuing Whangarei District Council over the incident for seven years.
Wayne Deeming, whose privacy was breached in 2009 by WDC, has written an open letter to Okara ward councillor Brian McLachlan, criticising him for not replying to emails. Mr Deeming is backed by council watchdog Warren Slater.
In January this year, the Human Rights Review Tribunal told WDC to pay Mr Deeming $2000 for humiliation, loss of dignity and injury to feeling for breaching his privacy. The dispute kicked off in 2009 when Cr Shelley Deeming - a cousin by marriage - forwarded an email from Mr Deeming which should have been confidential.
Mr Deeming's email related to an incident at a rugby club which raised issues about the club's liquor law adherence. When the email was leaked, he was ostracised in his Maungakaramea community.
Afterthe ruling, Mr Deeming felt Ms Deeming had not been held to account so "re-lodged" a code of conduct complaint against her and contacted councillors. Mr McLachlan then phoned Mr Deeming to tell him the complaint needed to be sent to chief executive Rob Forlong, not the councillors, as per council procedure.