A local government expert is calling for the resignation of Invercargill mayor Nobby Clark, saying the city deserves
better.
Dr Andy Asquith of the University of Sydney said the mayor had "brought the office into disrepute" and should step
aside.
The comments follow multiple calls for Clark’s resignation last week after a code of conduct complaint from United Fire
Brigades’ Association went public.
Allegations from the private event include that Clark made derogatory remarks towards a female MC, disparaged young
people in positions of authority, and labelled volunteer firefighters as second-class citizens.
“He’s clearly unfit for public office, and the people of Invercargill deserve better,” Dr Asquith said.
There was a certain level of intelligent behaviour, decorum and language expected for the role, he said
“This guy is supposed to be the number one citizen of Invercargill, people look up to the mayor.”
Prior to joining the University of Sydney, Dr Asquith worked at Massey University in New Zealand and specialised in the
local government sector.
He believed there needed to be a national code of conduct for councillors and mayors, referencing a recent incident in
Hamilton where a councillor sent an expletive-laden message to a neighbouring council as extra impetus.
Dr Asquith was disappointed the last Government’s future for local government reform had gone by the wayside, saying it
dealt with issues such as code of conduct, governance training and education.
Clark has been forthright in his opposition to standing down, also refusing to step aside from public engagements at the
request of other councillors.
On Monday, he announced he would take an extra month off, acknowledging he had come back from open heart surgery too
soon.
The month would be used to “refresh and look more positively to my role as mayor", Clark said.
Invercargill City Council confirmed the mayor would continue to be paid from his annual salary of $149,291 during the
month off.
In response to questions from Local Democracy Reporting regarding Mayor Clark, Minister for Local Government Simeon
Brown said it was not unusual for challenges to arise at the governance level.
Councils were responsible for addressing those, he said.
“Ultimately, mayors and councillors are democratically accountable to their communities.
“Councils are responsible for resolving issues. The threshold for Ministerial intervention, including appointing an
observer, is high.”
A second code of conduct complaint against Clark relating to his appearance on television show New Zealand Today is
ongoing.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air