Editorial: Walking out not part of Clive Solomon's job

Most of us have, at one time or another, had cause to regret comments we've made publicly.
You have to wonder if Wanganui District councillor Clive Solomon is going through that at the moment, as the furore surrounding the issue of the council's prayer shows no sign of abating.
In April, Wanganui Mayor Annette Main raised the issue of the prayer, telling councillors Mr Solomon objected to it and she wanted them to vote at a later date on whether or not to make changes to it.
At the time, Mr Solomon was reported as planning to appeal to the Human Rights Commission to prevent the issue going to a vote.
But now it appears Mr Solomon prefers to stay silent, and in the case of council meetings, absent.
At Monday's full Wanganui District Council meeting, Mr Solomon walked out after the controversial prayer was recited not once, but twice.
The prayer was initially recited before the meeting began, prompting Mr Solomon to leave the council chamber, and then return.
Ms Main acknowledged that the prayer was read before the opening of the meeting because it was the subject of a complaint from a councillor to the Human Rights Commission.
After vigorous debate, the prayer was read again, this time during the meeting - at this point, Mr Solomon chose to leave, and did not return.
The council decided to keep the prayer intact, pending the outcome of the complaint.
When the Wanganui Chronicle approached Mr Solomon for comment about the prayer issue and his sudden departure from the council meeting, he initially refused to comment.
Reconsidering, he then sent a text message explaining that he did not wish to comment because the matter was before the Human Rights Commission. He also would not confirm that he was the councillor who had lodged the complaint.
Mr Solomon should probably take some good public relations advice.
A refusal to comment won't shut this story down - if anything, it probably only inflames the situation and adds to the intrigue surrounding the issue.
The reality is that even though he is now apparently refusing to comment, most people will take Mr Solomon's earlier stated intention to lay a complaint with the commission as all the proof required that he has now done so.
And yet Mr Solomon's reticence to comment sits uncomfortably at odds with his decision to make a public spectacle of himself by avoiding the initial reading of the council prayer, and then to leave the meeting entirely.
Of course, we do not know exactly why Mr Solomon chose to leave the meeting - but again, most people will take it to be a gesture of dissent.
If that proves to be the case, it's petulance of the highest order and a dereliction of Mr Solomon's duty as an elected councillor.
Feedback: editor@wanganuichronicle.co.nz