30 years on from the Bain family murders, mother of Marokopa kids releases letter from fugitive dad and Christchurch’s dismay over SailGP. Video / NZ Herald
A code of conduct complaint was lodged by council chief executive Michael Day on behalf of the UFBA.
Clark has since apologised in a letter to Butzbach, saying he was suffering from “brain fade” following open heart surgery. He also maintained some of his behaviour was not as described.
“For me, I felt terrible after the dinner and within a couple of days, and well before the complaint was lodged, I sought some specialist advice, as I do not normally present this way at public meetings,” his letter said.
As a result of the investigation, Clark was found to be in breach of the council’s code of conduct, with the matter to be considered by the council at the extraordinary meeting on Friday.
“It’s brought disrepute to Invercargill and no apology will fix that and that’s why I will be asking for his resignation,” he said.
“I can only ask, because council can’t even by majority of vote sack a mayor. So you can only ask, but the reason is the only fix for what has happened is for him to resign – for the betterment of Invercargill.”
Pottinger said there was “no place to hide” for each councillor.
“They will have to speak on Friday. As your job as a councillor, you have to have an opinion on this, and you need to state it. Each councillor needs to think very carefully about what they’re going to say tomorrow.”
Pottinger said he had not spoken to Clark about his intentions.
Invercargill mayor Nobby Clark on TV show New Zealand Today. Photo / Three
In April, Pottinger and another councillor Ria Bond filed a code of conduct complaint against Clark after his appearance on Guy Williams’ satirical news show New Zealand Today.
During his interview with Williams – described as “a train wreck” by one of his elected members – he defended previous instances where he has used the N-word and again repeated the slur.
Clark first courted controversy last year when he used the word at an Art Foundation event, supposedly to make a point around “tolerance” and “freedom of expression” within the art world.
Southland Business Chamber calls for mayor to ‘step aside’
The Southland Business Chamber said the mayor’s behaviour highlights a “pattern of behaviour that not only breaches the expected standard of conduct for our elected city leaders but also jeopardises the reputation and future opportunities for Invercargill, and should not be tolerated”.
“The ongoing behaviour exhibited by Mayor Clark at various public events, including the use of racially and sexually insensitive language at the Arts Foundation tour and then on national television, underscores a troubling trend that does not align with the values of our community. We believe these actions threaten the cultural and economic vitality of our city,” the statement says.
Chamber chief executive Sheree Carey said “despite Mayor Clark’s health challenges” and his subsequent apology, the “recurring nature of these incidents indicates a critical need for systemic change within our city’s leadership”.
“The Chamber firmly believes that Invercargill deserves leadership that acts with integrity and respects the dignity of all individuals,” said Carey.
“Given the repeated nature of these incidents and the unwillingness... to adapt his behaviour despite previous feedback, the Chamber believes that the most responsible course of action would be for... to step aside.”
Carey said a resignation could be a “crucial step in protecting Invercargill’s reputation” and “ensuring progressive and representative leadership for our city”.
