Labour councillors seek investigation

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33966, 6 October 1975, Page 16

Labour councillors seek investigation

Labour councillors will ask the Christchurch City Council for an investigation into civil-defence dismissal procedures after the recent resignation of the civil defence officer (Mr R. W. Waters).

Sir Robert Macfarlane will give notice of motion for such an inquiry at the October 20 council meeting.

"Nowadays the public wants to be informed of; things,” Sir Robert said last evening. “You don’t get away with this kind of thing.” He said that an inquiry] could set up procedures for the future and ensure that councillors were informed of resignations—and the reasons for them—by the Mayor (Mr

H. G. Hay), the civil-defence chairman, and the council’s representative in the organisation.

“We have not even been; notified as councillors that he i has resigned,” Sir Robert said. “We know only what we have read in the paper.

“We know it was not a I voluntary resignation. He was just told to resign or else. There is much public ! feeling about it.” In his opinion, councillors: should have been informed confidentially by the Mayor |on reasons for dismissal. “We have been kept completely in the dark,” he said. TRIBUNAL WANTED Cr M. McG. Clark also j criticised dismissal procedures at the week-end. She said it was imperative that an independent tribunal be I set up to study dismissal methods and to ward off the present wave of resignations (over the matter. MAYOR REPLIES Mr Hav said last evening] that he had intended to report on civil-defence matters, to the policy and finance committee as soon as possible. “It is quite wrong of Sir Robert to imply that the civil defence committee had not ; been consulted on the circumstances leading to the resig- , nation of Mr Waters. The | plain fact is that the full committee has met on two occaisions for nearly three hours,

and they have unanimously agreed on any decisions reached,” said Mr Hay. Mr Hay described as “irresponsible nonsense” a suggestion from -Cr Clark that all in the controlling group at the top should resign immediately. “Before rushing into print in an attempt to make political capital out of the situation. and possibly to make matters worse. Cr Clark would be more advised to -ommunicate with any one of the members, with the committee or group controller, and acquaint herself with the I facts.” he said. Mr Hay had given an undertaking to Mr Waters that he would not discuss the circumstances of his resignation in public. “I intend to honour that undertaking,” said Mr Hay.