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Formal Complaint Laid Against Napier Mayor
Formal Complaint Laid Against Napier Mayor
Hastings Deputy Mayor Cynthia Bowers is today lodging a formal complaint with the Auditor General's office against Napier Mayor Bill Dalton.
Ms Bowers said the complaint follows a Facebook post on the Amalgamate Hawke's Bay site where Mayor Dalton used threats that sponsors may now pull their funding after its assistance coach, Danny Lee, featured in a video in favour of voting yes.
The video was initially posted by Pro Hawke’s Bay and went live yesterday afternoon around 5pm and by 5am this morning it had been 'pulled' after the Magpie management were encouraged to have it taken down.
Mayor Dalton's comments on the Facebook post said: "Whoever is advising Danny Lee has got it all wrong. The Magpies bring us all together in Hawke's Bay. Why would he choose to drive us apart. Sadly some sponsors will be reviewing their position."
Following Mr Dalton's post, there was overwhelming community support of Danny Lee for encouraging people to get out and vote.
Ms Bowers said Mr Dalton had not only used his position of power to bully people by using threatening behaviour, but suggesting that sponsorship could be dropped as a result, was completely out of line.
“I am appalled that Mayor Dalton should attempt to deny freedom of speech in such a blatant manner” said Ms Bowers today.
ENDS
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