Petition calls for two resignations
In two days, just over 200 people had electronically signed the petition, on Change.org.
A petition has started as Horowhenua residents call for the removal of a council chief executive embroiled in a snooping scandal, as well as the deputy mayor who still supports him.
An internal draft audit leaked to media shows chief executive David Clapperton intercepted emails – including some not even sent to the council. The practice has been labelled ‘‘extremely high risk’’, but nine out of ten councillors back him, including deputy mayor Wayne Bishop.
Farmer and long-time Horowhenua resident Michael Kay set up the petition calling for Clapperton and Bishop to go, saying democracy was not effective if the chief executive was unchallenged about holding power over politicians.
Elected members’ emails have been among those screened by Clapperton, the audit shows.
The email vetting was reminiscent of ‘‘Soviet behaviour’’ or a mother watching over a child’s shoulder, not ‘‘what we used to call a public servant’’, Kay said.
Democracy involved representatives working with residents, he said. ‘‘But to work it does hinge on being able to liaise and consult with the people. This is serious.’’
Kay said the council needed to start providing public information about the practices.
The council has been under seige since Monday, when the internal audit surfaced. Emails sent to and from now-mayor Michael Feyen and another councillor, Ross Campbell, were automatically redirected to the chief executive to be vetted.
Clapperton initially said the practice was to protect the safety of staff who received emails from the pair, but later confirmed emails sent from the public were also redirected to him when they came from ‘‘flagged’’ email addresses, even if they were addressed to elected members.
Most questions posed by the Standard have not been answered, and requests for the audit report were refused.
Kay said confirmation that vetting of elected representatives’ emails by the chief executive took place meant Clapperton should go, and Bishop was included as he had stood by Clapperton and had called for a mayoral by-election.
In two days, just over 200 people had electronically signed the petition, on Change.org. However, Kay said he felt more residents had an interest in it, and non-residents who have contact with the district might also be concerned.
Earlier this week, Bishop and the eight other Horowhenua councillors publicly stated they backed Clapperton, and Kay said he hoped if the petition gathered enough supporters it could prompt them to reconsider. ‘‘It’s just a big hope that something happens.
‘‘We’ve got the expressway coming, and we’re experiencing quite a lot of growth... we need to have a proper-functioning council.’’
Controversy has marred the council’s term, including a wrangle over who would be deputy mayor. Feyen’s original pick, Campbell, was almost immediately dumped when councillors voted him out.
At a council meeting in April Feyen himself said he was the focus of a ‘‘malicious’’ petition circulating to remove him as mayor.