Tape-recording dispute

Press, 17 August 1979, Page 4

Tape-recording dispute

Tempers flared at the., t Heathcote County Council's jr finance committee- meeting; last evening over a council-c lot's tape-recording of re-ls marks by other councillors, la The eruption came as Cr,s Betty Roberts was discussing! c stormwater run-off from aia subdivision above the Old Stone House. She had queried I r payment to a contractor forlc bulldozing round the oldr hcuise. Cr Roberts placed a tape ( recorder on the table in front,? of her as Cr D. J. Patchett s began to comment. [I Cr Patchett objected, and 1 said: “I feel absolutely humili-it ated by a councillor’s bringing but a tape-recorder like! that It is easy to see thatjc she doesn’t trust councillors!r and staff.” it He moved that Cr Roberts's

be asked to remove the fape-|< recorder. i; Cr W. M. Hindmarsh also;I objected and concluded by Saying that Cr Roberts needed ; a tape-recorder. Cr Roberts i said that she took strong exception to his remarks, and < asked that he withdraw them. < At this point, Cr Hind- I marsh moved, as a point of i order, that the committee move on to further business, i He was supported by the i County Chairman 'Mr J. M. i McKenzie), who referred to . standing order and sajd that | he wondered why Cr Roberts had put the tape-recorder on the table as Cr Patchett be- 1 gan to speak. i The acting chairman of the committee (Mr T. P Wills’) , moved that tape-recorders be ' banned from future meetings, 1 apart froin the official re- i

cording made by the council, and tape-recorderS used by the news, media. The official recording was available to the public, he said. Ct Roberts said in response that if tape-recorders could be used by the news media, it was only fair that councillors should, too. The only purpose of taping meetings was so that doubts about what had been said could be resolved, she said. Accordingly, all tapes should be banned except the official tape, which should be sealed unless there was a specific nded to consult it. However, Cr Roberts’s amendment to Cr Wills’s motion was defeated, and the motion was adopted.