Chong told flag comments ‘unacceptable’
A New Plymouth councillor has been spoken to by the mayor after making controversial comments about the Confederate flag of the United States on a radio show.
Murray Chong appeared on Hokonui Taranaki after the Ha¯ wera Lions’ A & P Show parade, in which a float featuring people in blackface drew national criticism. In a video of the show, shared on Facebook, Chong said he had no issue flying the flag on his car during Taranaki’s Americarna festival of American muscle vehicles. The flag is seen by some people as a symbol of racism, but Chong said he associated it with The Dukes of Hazzard TV show and American cars.
Mayor Neil Holdom said he had censured Chong for his comments, which he described as disappointing and divisive. Chong said the issue had been blown out of proportion and that it was the mayor’s opinion, not his, that he had been censured. Holdom said: ‘‘I spoke to Councillor Chong as soon as the matter came to my attention. I expressed my clear disappointment at his behaviour and advised him to cease this divisive behaviour as soon as possible. I’m disappointed in Councillor Chong’s behaviour and condemn it.’’
Holdom said he had one person ask him to fire Chong, but there was no allowance for that under the Local Government Act, ‘‘except for a few technical circumstances none of which are to do with behaviour’’.
‘‘Once someone has been lawfully elected there’s very little if anything that can be done ... The actions that we can take are to publicly condemn him and then to raise it with him, which is what was done.’’
But generally council, under the Act, works pretty well, he said. ‘‘I believe in democracy and freedom of speech. People need to be able to speak out on council issues without the threat of a mayor firing them.’’
Chong said yesterday: ‘‘I’m a councillor that’s elected by the people and the only way the mayor can actually censure me is through code of conduct issues . . . I’m very proud to be a councillor that speaks his mind and says it how he sees it.’’
Chong was previously censured by Holdom over Facebook comments on the Ma¯ ori language.