Invercargill mayor Nobby Clark publicly apologises for using racial and homophobic slurs

By Niva Chittock of RNZ

Invercargill mayor Nobby Clark has publicly apologised for repeatedly breaching the council’s code of conduct at a firefighter prizegiving.

Clark had been censured twice for using racial and homophobic slurs, along with insulting and degrading behaviour during a TV interview.

He first used the n-word at an Art Foundation event in March 2023, then repeated it in an episode of satirical news show New Zealand Today.

Two other councillors laid a complaint about it.

He was formally censured last month and a council vote to formally ask him to resign was narrowly defeated after a different Code of Conduct complaint for offensive behaviour at a firefighter prizegiving.

He refused to step down from public appearances before admitting he returned to work too soon after open heart surgery and took a month off.

Clark was censured for a second time at an extraordinary meeting last week.

At a regular council meeting today, he publicly apologised for his actions.

Invercargill mayor Nobby Clark on TV show New Zealand Today. Photo / Three

“I openly apologise for breaching the Code of Conduct and the expectations that you would have of my role,” Clark said.

“I apologise for the negative impact it’s had on my colleagues and on the council’s standing in the community and the wider community.”

Clark said he had also apologised to the united fire brigade association and Miss X.

“Given that Miss X wasn’t the MC of the event, she had nothing to do with the running of it, but I’m not prepared to make an issue of that,” he said.

Clark hoped his apology today would “put the issue to rest”.

The apology was a condition of the council’s extraordinary meeting last week, which was called to discuss his actions.

As a result he was asked to make a “sincere public verbal apology”.

Clark confirmed to RNZ he was yet to apologise for his first censure relating to his using of racist and homophobic slurs.

- RNZ