Media release

Auckland Councillor Cameron Brewer

Wednesday, 18 November 2015

Mayor’s use of Paris tragedy as a political shield reprehensible

“Len Brown’s use of the tragic events in Paris to help justify his controversial attendance to a completely unrelated climate change junket with ratepayer-funded Auckland Council representatives is completely reprehensible. He needs to withdraw the statement, apologise, and cancel the trip forthwith,” says Auckland Councillor for Orakei Cameron Brewer.

“I’ve been around politics for 20 years and have written hundreds of media statements but have never seen anything like it. When I first saw his statement titled ‘Join us to show solidarity with Paris’, I thought the Mayor was inviting Aucklanders to sign a condolence book or attend a candlelit vigil but sadly not. His statement was instead all about trying to shore up some political support for his attendance to an unrelated climate change conference in Paris which he’s under increasing public and media pressure to drop.”

“At best this is extremely bad taste and at worst it is completely offense to people of France let alone the intelligence of Aucklanders.

“Why is he dragging in this terrible series of events to help justify his determination to go on some unrelated climate change junket? It’s pathetic. The only connection is it is in the same city. To try and draw some kind of link is inexcusable. Going on this junket in the first place is poor political judgement. Now dragging in the tragedies of Paris to try and shore up some political support for the trip is beyond words.

“This all shows just how much disarray, dysfunction and desperation the Auckland Mayoral Office is in. A clear majority of councillors don’t want him to go to Paris, and now his latest monumental misjudgement will only feed further political and public discontent.

“I call on the Mayor to contact the office of the Ambassador or Consul General of France and offer an immediate apology and retraction. He also needs to cancel the trip for he and other council representatives immediately as its inappropriate, not required, and will cost ratepayers their hard earned money,” says Cameron Brewer.

Ends

Mayor's statement: “Join us to show solidarity with Paris”

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