Whanganui District Council declares support for Ukraine

Whanganui district councillors have supported Alan Taylor's motion to condemn the Russian government's invasion of Ukraine. Photo / Bevan Conley

Whanganui district councillors have unanimously voted to declare their support for Ukraine.

Councillor Alan Taylor introduced a notice of motion at the council meeting on Tuesday suggesting that the council support the New Zealand Government and the majority of citizens in deploring the Russian invasion of its Eastern European neighbour.

Taylor motioned the council to forthrightly condemn the actions of the Russian Government in invading Ukraine, and stand by the people of Ukraine in their continued struggle for peace, independence and democracy.

Taylor, who along with councillor Philippa Baker-Hogan had worn the blue and yellow colours of the Ukraine flag, said he wished to make it clear the motion was not directed towards Russian people but towards the Government of Russia.

Taylor quoted Russian writer and Nobel Prize winner Leo Tolstoy in saying "war is always pernicious, even when successful" to civilians of the countries involved.

Mayor Hamish McDouall said he unreservedly supported the motion, especially as Ukrainian local government representatives had been targeted by Russian forces.

He said Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko had been repeatedly threatened and there had been reports that mayors of two other Ukrainian cities had been abducted.

"We are all part of a 2000-year-old system of local government and we can only imagine what it must be like for these decision-makers being targeted," he said.

Councillor Helen Craig said she initially thought the motion was not council business but after seeing reports from Ukraine she had changed her mind.

"It is everybody's job to denounce war," she said.

"My parents, who were teenagers at the time, had to leave Holland during WWII and we lost whānau to the war. We need to show our support for the people of Ukraine."

Rural Community Board chairman Peter Oskam said he supported the motion.

"I fully endorse it," he said. "It's the right thing to do."

Deputy mayor Jenny Duncan said she supported the motion as a condemnation of all wars.

All councillors present at the meeting voted in favour of the motion.