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Summarised by Centrist
A post written under the name “Peter Bassett,” first published on Breakingviews.co.nz, run by the New Zealand Centre for Political Research claimed there was a 2021 Wellington City Council vote, despite council records showing the key vote never occurred.
It was led by then-councillor Tamatha Paul, who, according to the post, “prioritised increased cycle lane funding over pipes.”
Council minutes and councillors present at the meeting have “confirmed the vote never happened.” Nonetheless, the claim “took on an unchecked life of its own,” spreading on social media and being raised at a public meeting about the Moa Point wastewater failure.
Finance Minister Nicola Willis said in Parliament: “I would also reflect that sometimes those in glass houses should not be throwing stones or sitting next to Tamatha Paul, who built cycle ways instead of fixing the pipes.”
Her office later clarified she was “not referencing the blog post, but stating a fact.”
The identity of “Peter Bassett” remains unclear. The blog describes him as “an observer of media, politics and public institutions, writing on how narrative replaces scrutiny.” Efforts to locate him through company records and electoral rolls were unsuccessful.
No sitting councillor who responded said they knew him. Former politician Michael Bassett, after being asked if the blogger was his brother, replied: “He’s certainly not my brother and I don’t know the guy.”
Read more over at The Post (paywalled)
