Tense exchanges were had at a South Waikato District Council meeting after mayor Gary Petley tabled a reshuffle of the council’s committees.
During Wednesday’s meeting, councillors Sandra Wallace, Kerry Purdy and Marie Farrell questioned Petley on the fairness of the reshuffle to female councillors.
Farrell asked the mayor what he would say to young women in the community watching council.
“How would you encourage them when during this term, despite our membership being 50 percent female, there’s not one female committee chair?” she asked.
Farrell said the reshuffle increased the number of committees and yet there were still no females appointed to the position of committee chairperson.
“The majority of female councillors have been demoted through this reshuffle,” she said.
Petley said he made the decision about the committee structure on what he believed was the best way forward for the council.
“If you believe that's a negative reflection on the way I’m doing my job then I’m prepared to live with that,” Petley said.
RNZ
Face of the Day
Petley said he made the decision about the committee structure on what he believed was the best way forward for the council.
Related
Faces of the Day
Asked if National meant no increases existing taxes, levies or fees, Willis did not rule it out. “We’re saying no new taxes,” she said.
Face of the Day
This year, the winning entry came from Sritam Kumar Sethy, a student at Berhampur University in India, while Australian researchers and wildlife snagged awards in several categories.
Face of the Day
Beard was in hospice care when he died at his ranch in Richmond, Texas, with family members at his side, band representative Bob Merlis said.
Faces of the Day
The group are mostly elderly and retired and gather at an old sports building in Hastings to make coffins. “We are at a point where we don’t have the room to make any more,” Treasurer Cherie Hames says. “We are basically at capacity of what we can make on the premises. We have to find new premises.”
Latest
This Is of Concern
The head of the Electoral Commission needs to explain what will be done to ensure the 28,000 New Zealanders applying to help run the 2026 election are not subjected to separatist indoctrination.
Now Apologising for Telling the Truth
Revolutionaries should be made of sterner stuff.
Media Love Snakes and Ladders
This is where we are, with a much greater reliance on ACT and NZ First to get National over the line on November 7. This should not be the case but these are the cards National has dealt the coalition.
