Councillors accused of greed in heated row
Accusations of ‘‘greed’’ and warnings against ‘‘vote buying’’ flew thick and fast among Christchurch’s councillors during a fiery debate on whether fees for directorships should be kept or donated to charity.
Councillors on boards of companies owned or run by the city council currently have their pay donated to charities or funds of the council’s choosing.
Last year $267,000 was shared between the Mayor’s Welfare Fund (MWF), Lego charity Imagination Station and the council’s innovation and sustainability fund.
Whether to continue the policy has seen members deeply divided. Councillors advised staff in March that they wanted to reconsider the position for the coming financial year.
Some backed donating fees, saying directorships only come by virtue of their council roles, others wanted to keep them, given the personal risk they face in such roles, and give them to charities of their own choice.
After a heated argument on Thursday, a decision to continue donating them squeaked through.
It only came after seven abstained over a row about whether they have the right to make decisions regarding their own fees, despite a declaration from the Office of the AuditorGeneral that they were not conflicted.
Councillors accused each other of ‘‘pursuing mediocrity’’, of greed and warned of opening the door to accusations of buying votes by wanting to donate to charities in their own wards.
Councillor Aaron Keown even suggested not paying more to those who take greater risks and do more work was a slide towards a ‘‘Communist utopia’’.
Mayor Lianne Dalziel was forced to step in after Cr Mike Davidson accused a number of his colleagues of trying to line their own pockets. ‘‘The people voting against or abstaining have a common theme – they all want zero per cent rates increases but yet they still want to pocket all the money they can possibly get,’’ he said.
The claim left James Gough incensed, saying: ‘‘Every single person who has spoken has said they are not even going to keep the money.’’
Dalziel brought in the policy of donating fees in 2013 to stop councillors being paid thousands of dollars on top of their salaries and to prevent directorships being used as rewards.
Cr Sara Templeton, a director of investment arm Christchurch City Holdings Ltd (CCHL) – who along with Dalziel, deputy mayor Andrew Turner and Gough earns $48,400 for the role, which is donated – said she ‘‘willingly applied’’ for the job, knowing there would be no extra money.
‘‘What I don’t want is for the donations from CCHL and ChristchurchNZ to the Mayor’s Welfare Fund to be redirected into councillors’ pockets.’’
Cr Phil Mauger, who wanted to donate fees to charities of his choice, said he would happily give to those in other wards.
Turner said councillors were ‘‘already adequately remunerated’’ and should not be paid extra for additional work that is part of their role.
But Gough, who holds a number of private directorships as well as his council roles and has previously opposed donating fees, argued paying for the work increased quality and accountability.
‘‘Personally, I would choose not to keep remuneration from sitting on a board of a council company.
‘‘But if you think fair remuneration shouldn’t be payable for undertaking a professional role in which you want to attract highly capable people then I wish you all the best in your pursuit of mediocrity.’’
The vote was narrowly carried, James Daniels and Phil Mauger voting against and seven abstaining – including Dalziel, who said she would back the policy but wanted to avoid any perception of a conflict of interest despite councillors asking her to table the debate.
The Mayor’s Welfare Fund will now receive $195,672 from fees from the last year, and Imagination Station $50,000.