Thursday 24th Feb 2000 Owen Jennings Media Release -- Other

Mayor Christine Fletcher fury toward me over the allegations made in Parliament yesterday concerning her Council staff should be better directed toward those involved and the Council leadership in Auckland that has ignored the problem for so long, says ACT local government spokesman Owen Jennings.

"The Mayor should be writing to the select committee supporting ACT's call for a full independent Parliamentary inquiry into the very serious allegations," Mr Jennings said.

"Despite the Mayor's protestations she has known for weeks that ACT was purposing an inquiry and that strong allegations were being made by Gulf residents.

"The Mayor knew the situation was serious enough for her to call for a Council investigations it is not my fault if Council staff have not briefed the Mayor on the enormity and large number of problems involved. My running to the Council would have had the same effect as the many residents struggling for justice have received from the Council up until now - ignored abused, and stone-walled.

"The ACT party wrote to the Hon Judith Tizard over a month ago seeking a full inquiry - she referred the matter then to the Council.

"It's clear that the Mayor was not really prepared to take the issue all that seriously or she would have instigated a totally independent and high level inquiry.

"It was not until I stood up in Parliament and raised some of the issues that the Mayor has decided to do something practical and is to visit Waiheke Island tonight.

"Will it take me raising further issues in the House for her to go to Great Barrier Island and talk to the concerned residents there?"

ENDS

© Scoop Media