Mr Goulden can start on Monday

Press, 16 July 1986, Page 1

Mr Goulden can start on Monday

By

RODGER KINGSBURY

in Blenheim

The general manager of the Marlborough Harbour Board, Mr M. J. Goulden, will be invited to resume duties on Monday. This was the majority decision of members attending a special meeting of the board held yesterday from which the public were excluded. The first business of the meeting, which lasted more than 2& hours, was given as consideration of a sub-committee report appointed to bold discussions with Mr Goulden, settlement of costs, and further action. The second item was listed as a "staffing position — Captain D. I. Jamison.”

The chairman, Mr B. J. Dalliessi, said during a break in the meeting that a resolution of the board of June 24 relating to Mr Goulden’s return to work had been rescinded. The rescinded resolution said that matters relating to Mr Goulden’s costs and further possible action open to him should be sorted out before he began work.

Mr Dalliessi said the question of liability and quantum of legal costs would be left for resolution by the Harbours Appeal Board. “We are asking our counsel to ask the appeal board to resolve the issue," he said.

Mr Dalliessi said that the second item on the agenda, relating to Captain Jamison and a staffing position, would be discussed when the meeting resumed, and was not relevant to Mr Goulden’s return to work.

Captain Jamison believed he would be acting general manager only until Mr Goulden returned to work.

"Apart from the question of costs, it is business as normal on Monday,” he said.

“There will need to be good will on both sides, and I am sure there will be.”

Mr Dalliessi said when he opened the meeting that Mr Goulden had been invited to attend the meeting to answer questions from the board, but had declined.

“Personally, I am disappointed. Sooner or later he will have to meet the board,” he said. No reasons were given by Mr Goulden for not

attending the meeting. The decision to hold the meeting with the public excluded was not made without opposition. Messrs A. D. Cambridge, E. L. Collins, and G. S. Fuller spoke in favour of an open meeting. Mr Dalliessi said it was normal practice for local authorities to discuss staff matters in committee. When asked last evenning if he would return to the board to take up his post as general manager on Monday, Mr Goulden said that he would. Mr Goulden said there were other matters considered at last week’s subcommittee meeting which were still outstanding. He had no objection to . these being in open meeting so that the public could be fully apprised of the circumstances. “I don’t know what they have decided on these matters because I have hot been informed. They are issues which will have to be taken up. “I was dismissed nearly two years ago without substance and without reasonable cause. This was followed by allegations of deceit, dishonesty, and fraud. The people who made the allegations are still there,” Mr Goulden said. He said that after the appeal-board inquiry and the audit inquiry the allegations were found to be baseless. “I am now in a situation where my career has been affected for two years. After protracted discussions lasting nearly six weeks I am now told in a .roundabout way I can go back to work on Monday.--

“I think it is a disgraceful thing to take away somebody’s work without reason. It is the right to work that I have been pursuing this on,” he said.

Mr Goulden questioned any suggestion that he should pay any costs when he had been held to be blameless. He said he had been given to understand at last week’s meeting that the recommendation of the sub-committee would be that the board meet all his costs. That the board would not now do so meant he would have to incur further costs in taking the matter back to the appeal board or to the High Court.

"I find it absolutely absurd,” Mr Goulden said.