Wairoa ratepayers call for answers over payout

A petition calling for answers around a council payout following allegations of sexual harassment by Wairoa mayor Craig Little has more than 240 signatures.

The online petition was created by Murray Olsen, a retired physicist and university lecturer who moved to the northern Hawke’s Bay town 21⁄2 years ago.

Addressed to Wairoa District Council, the petition seeks answers to six questions, including ‘‘Who made the decision to make this payment out of public moneys?’’, ‘‘If it was a decision of the full council, which councillors voted for it?’’, and ‘‘What steps have been taken to ensure that nothing like this happens again?’’

Created last Tuesday, the petition had been signed by 240 people by yesterday.

About 8500 people live in the district, of which about 5300 are eligible to vote for the mayor and six councillors.

Stuff revealed last month that Little had been the subject of a sexual harassment complaint by a staff member that was never fully investigated in 2017.

A preliminary assessment by the council found the complaint warranted a full investigation. It was started but was discontinued when the woman withdrew her complaint.

The council paid $55,652 in compensation to the woman and legal costs.

Little denied any wrongdoing. Olsen said he ran for council last year after becoming aware of the allegation.

‘‘Part of my personal motivation is that, as a middle-aged Pa¯ keha¯ male, I get annoyed when other middle-aged Pa¯keha¯ males throw their power and status around. We are not all like that,’’ he said.

‘‘I was an equity and harassment officer . . . part of that position was to do stuff about this sort of thing. I’ve also had a family member who was subject to sexual harassment, so I feel strongly about it,’’ he said.

Olsen believed this was clearly a case that should have been fully investigated.

Council chief executive officer Steven May said all ratepayers had a right to request answers from the council.

He said the petition did not appear to be a petition, but more a list of questions, and the council would consider them under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act.

May referred to the council’s code of conduct and the Local Government Act and said ‘‘the council is confident that they are followed fully and fairly in all cases’’.