Gisborne district councilor Malcolm MacLean denies that he said "not enough Maori were killed" in an overheard, but fellow councilor Meredith Akuhata-Brown is adamant that she heard those words.
Their contradictory remarks came when the Council today was preparing for a new extraordinary extraordinary meeting, in which it would debate the release of the minutes of the original council meeting that discussed the report of the Code of Conduct.
In new developments today, Mr. MacLean said he was subject to "vicious attacks".
Mr. MacLean, whose identity was accidentally revealed during a live streamed extraordinary meeting yesterday, said the threats had been "cruel".
"My wife, my animals and my wife's business are all threatened, it is terrible."
He told the Gisborne Herald this morning that he was the person involved in the process of the code of conduct.
But he did not say the words "not enough (Maori) were killed".
What he said was: "Fortunately, no more were killed with what confronted them".
The code of conduct process was "fairly light and needed to be reassembled," he said.
"I felt in the process that nobody really listened to what I said.
"Some words were distorted.
"That is why I have obtained legal advice."
Mr. MacLean says the commentary was made during a lunch break in a very muttered private conversation.
"It is clear that councilor Akuhata-Brown thinks she has heard what has been said, but I know what I said.
"Then why did not she say that she objected to what she thought I was saying?
"She realized that she might have acted wrong in the first place with her comment in the newspaper (that is an infringement) and tried to reduce her violation."
Apology & # 39; should have been the end & # 39;
M. MacLean said on August 9, he gave Ms. Akuhata-Brown this apology:
"If what I have said is hurtful to you, I apologize for that pain."
"She accepted that apology and thanked me for her – that should have been the end.
"The board, however, discovered that because I had offered an apology, I must have said it.
"I've also been hurt – for someone who says something that I never said.
"She made an interesting comment that she had been a council member since 2013 and that this was the right platform to get rid of racist remarks from around the table board, as it had been since her election.
"She also accused me of racist behavior, because I had voted against a name change.
"I have no doubt that she is trying to discredit me as a councilor and the work I do in the community."
& # 39; I am not a racist & # 39; – alderman MacLean
Mr. MacLean said he would continue to serve the district as well as possible.
"Not everyone agrees with what everyone says, that is a fact of life.
"However, I can definitely stay in my head and body and say that I am not racist.
"I've had a lot of Maori all my life, I could not keep the positions I had in the community if I was racist.
"I have been working here for 35 years and have friends, former employees and family who are Maori."
He expects to speak back to the media yesterday and this morning.
"I was not going to talk to the media, but I thought:" what's good for the goose should be good for the gander. "
This morning, Mrs Akuhata-Brown said she knew what she was hearing.
He made the denial during the meeting with deputy mayor Rehette Stoltz.
She wonders why he apologized.
"That's why I'm so disappointed in him.
"Why should I publicize this and cause a storm?
"I am not happy that he is determined to place a new statement in the public domain.
"I will stick to what I've heard him say, and the other councilor laughed, because that's what happened that day."
The other councilor sat beside him and just laughed lightly, she said.
She sat next to him and another council member heard part of the statement. He did not hear it all but heard the words "not enough".
When she asked for an apology, he started by declaring that he was not a racist because he employed Maori and had Maori friends.
"Then to declare that he did not say what he said, why did he apologize?
"It does not make any sense."
She told him that this was an opportunity for him to promote this and to possess it.
He can apologize to the region and try to unpack the problem.
When he apologized, she said that he was uncomfortable and she thought, "Oh my god, you're going to really play this," said Mrs. Akuhata-Brown.
The fact that he had gone to the media with this counterclaim showed that he & # 39; no integrity & # 39; had.
"He made a mistake, he can own it, we all make mistakes, so why not just lead the way?"
He had to show leadership as part of the management of this region.
She would not allow Mr MacLean's statement to pass unhindered to the public.
"What was said was a horrible statement and he has a chance to own it and move forward, which is very disappointing."
- Gisborne Mayor Meng Foon, who is abroad for the wedding of his daughter, said he supported the decision of the board to be transparent.
"Transparency is the best policy, and the public has the right to know things about city councils," he said.
Gisborne district councilor Malcolm MacLean denies that he said "not enough Maori were killed" in an overheard, but fellow councilor Meredith Akuhata-Brown is adamant that she heard those words.
Their contradictory remarks came when the Council today was preparing for a new extraordinary extraordinary meeting, in which it would debate the release of the minutes of the original council meeting that discussed the report of the Code of Conduct.
In new developments today, Mr. MacLean said he was subject to "vicious attacks".
Mr. MacLean, whose identity was accidentally revealed during a live streamed extraordinary meeting yesterday, said the threats had been "cruel".
"My wife, my animals and my wife's business are all threatened, it is terrible."
He told the Gisborne Herald this morning that he was the person involved in the process of the code of conduct.
But he did not say the words "not enough (Maori) were killed".
What he said was: "Fortunately, no more were killed with what confronted them".
The code of conduct process was "fairly light and needed to be reassembled," he said.
"I felt in the process that nobody really listened to what I said.
"Some words were distorted.
"That is why I have obtained legal advice."
Mr. MacLean says the commentary was made during a lunch break in a very muttered private conversation.
"It is clear that councilor Akuhata-Brown thinks she has heard what has been said, but I know what I said.
"Then why did not she say that she objected to what she thought I was saying?
"She realized that she might have acted wrong in the first place with her comment in the newspaper (that is an infringement) and tried to reduce her violation."
Apology & # 39; should have been the end & # 39;
M. MacLean said on August 9, he gave Ms. Akuhata-Brown this apology:
"If what I have said is hurtful to you, I apologize for that pain."
"She accepted that apology and thanked me for her – that should have been the end.
"The board, however, discovered that because I had offered an apology, I must have said it.
"I've also been hurt – for someone who says something that I never said.
"She made an interesting comment that she had been a council member since 2013 and that this was the right platform to get rid of racist remarks from around the table board, as it had been since her election.
"She also accused me of racist behavior, because I had voted against a name change.
"I have no doubt that she is trying to discredit me as a councilor and the work I do in the community."
& # 39; I am not a racist & # 39; – alderman MacLean
Mr. MacLean said he would continue to serve the district as well as possible.
"Not everyone agrees with what everyone says, that is a fact of life.
"However, I can definitely stay in my head and body and say that I am not racist.
"I've had a lot of Maori all my life, I could not keep the positions I had in the community if I was racist.
"I have been working here for 35 years and have friends, former employees and family who are Maori."
He expects to speak back to the media yesterday and this morning.
"I was not going to talk to the media, but I thought:" what's good for the goose should be good for the gander. "
This morning, Mrs Akuhata-Brown said she knew what she was hearing.
He made the denial during the meeting with deputy mayor Rehette Stoltz.
She wonders why he apologized.
"That's why I'm so disappointed in him.
"Why should I publicize this and cause a storm?
"I am not happy that he is determined to place a new statement in the public domain.
"I will stick to what I've heard him say, and the other councilor laughed, because that's what happened that day."
The other councilor sat beside him and just laughed lightly, she said.
She sat next to him and another council member heard part of the statement. He did not hear it all but heard the words "not enough".
When she asked for an apology, he started by declaring that he was not a racist because he employed Maori and had Maori friends.
"Then to declare that he did not say what he said, why did he apologize?
"It does not make any sense."
She told him that this was an opportunity for him to promote this and to possess it.
He can apologize to the region and try to unpack the problem.
When he apologized, she said that he was uncomfortable and she thought, "Oh my god, you're going to really play this," said Mrs. Akuhata-Brown.
The fact that he had gone to the media with this counterclaim showed that he & # 39; no integrity & # 39; had.
"He made a mistake, he can own it, we all make mistakes, so why not just lead the way?"
He had to show leadership as part of the management of this region.
She would not allow Mr MacLean's statement to pass unhindered to the public.
"What was said was a horrible statement and he has a chance to own it and move forward, which is very disappointing."
- Gisborne Mayor Meng Foon, who is abroad for the wedding of his daughter, said he supported the decision of the board to be transparent.
"Transparency is the best policy, and the public has the right to know things about city councils," he said.
Source link