Wayne Brown Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has lashed out at councillors for not attending meetings in person.
According to Auckland Council, two committee meetings in the past two months could not go ahead because they did not meet quorum. That is, they didn't have enough members attend.
The Revenue, Expenditure and Value Committee on 17 June and the Performance and Appointments Committee on 29 July both had to be lapsed.
Councillors are required to be in-person to count towards a quorum.
At the start of Thursday's governing body meeting, the mayor pointed out that five of the city's 20 councillors were joining the meeting remotely.
"I'm going to deal with them one by one.
"I want to make sure that people understand you have an obligation to be here unless you've got a good reason.
"Some of the councillor committees haven't had enough people to have the meetings, and it's just not good enough."
Wayne Brown noted Councillor Christine Fletcher was overseas, and Councillor Alf Filipaina was unwell.
He said Counsellor Maurice Williamson was recovering after surgery.
"I've just seen a photo of him and he's definitely incapacitated."
He said Councillor Julie Fairey was also recovering at home after a car hit her while she was biking.
"I feel somewhat sorry for Councillor Fairey. She's had the misfortune to be run over by a car.
"We wish her well in her recovery as someone who's particularly worried about bike safety."
But he took a jab at one councillor, Wayne Walker.
"Councillor Walker... he hasn't been run over by a car, I'm sure someone will provide one."
Councillor Lotu Fuli raised a point of order, calling it unusual to review councillors' reasons for not attending a meeting in person.
She said there had been attendance issues at committees and not the governing body meeting.
Councillor and mayoral hopeful Kerrin Leoni called the mayor's comments inappropriate.
"I think it's really inappropriate to make jokes about people. If we've got a reason why they're not here, we should just be sticking to that and not talking about people getting run over.
"People have been run over," the mayor responded.
Wayne Walker told RNZ he informed council staff he had the flu and would be joining the meeting via video link.
He said the mayor had been "going after" him and his fellow Albany Ward Councillor John Watson during previous meetings, dubbing them "the Albanians".
Walker said he had disagreed with the mayor on privatising the Port of Auckland and the future of North Harbour Stadium.
"It's disappointing that he made those comments.
"He's after power and control."
Walker added he was not a part of either committee where a quorum was not met.
Councillor Alf Filipania hit back at Wayne Brown for criticising councillor attendance.
He said council data showed the mayor's attendance from April to June was lower than many councillors, at 79 percent.
However, nine percent of his absences were for council business.
Councillor Filipania said he and fellow Manukau councillor Lotu Fuli's attendance in the same period was both above 90 percent, if you discounted meeting absences because of council business, slightly higher than the mayor's.
"I always try to get to all the meetings, if not in person, definitely online.
"He [the mayor] hasn't got a leg to stand on when you look at his attendance."
He said meetings sometimes clashed with commitments for his role on the Oranga Tamariki Ministerial Advisory Board.
He told RNZ he and Councillor Fuli would be seeking re-election on the Labour Party ticket, after previously saying he would instead contest a local board seat after 22 years as a councillor.
"The councillor role came up again when a successor withdrew for family reasons.
"I put my name forward again and got selected by Labour to stand in the 2025 elections.
"I'm so happy I have an opportunity to put my name forward again. Serving the community is something I still wish to continue, possibly for the next two terms.
"I hope the community believes in the work Lotu and I have done."
It comes as the mayor has announced two candidates Victoria Short and Gary Brown will contest the Albany Ward on his Fix Auckland ticket.
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