UNREPENTANT: New Plymouth District councillor Sherril George fought back the tears during the extraordinary council meeting to decide her fate for breaking the council's code of conduct in February.
Councillor thrown off committees for anti-outsider cafe crusade
Radio New Zealand
A New Plymouth district councillor and business owner has been censured and thrown off council committees for trying to drum a competitor out of Waitara.
Sherril George owns a pizzeria in the town, and two months ago campaigned against a Cambodian-owned business for not being local, with a sign and leaflets urging shoppers to avoid Town and Country Foods.
Witnesses say she swore and used a threatening tone, accusing the owners of employing illegal immigrants, not having proper consents and killing local business.
Ms George says she is sorry for the trouble, but that she'd do it again.
All but one of her fellow councillors agreed she broke the code of conduct and dropped her from four council committees.
Town and Country owner Hoyt Khuon says Ms George's fate is a matter of karma.
Listen to item on Morning Report
---------------------------Sherril George unrepentant
MATT RILKOFF
Taranaki Daily News
Sorry she may be for the fuss, but councillor Sherril George remains unrepentant about her actions in Waitara's Town and Country affair.
Instead, in a sometimes confusing statement read out to her fellow councillors yesterday afternoon, Ms George blamed the interpretation put on her actions for the scandal and stated she would probably do it all again.
Minutes later the New Plymouth District councillors censured and stripped their colleague of four council positions as punishment for her attempt to organise a boycott against Cambodian-owned business Town and Country Foods in February.
Although tearful and apologetic for the way her actions were interpreted, Ms George did not take the opportunity yesterday afternoon to apologise to Town and Country Food owner Hoyt Khuon.
However, she did regret the impact it had taken on her and expressed concern for the what it had done to her community.
"Again, I am truly sorry that this has caused so much friction in the community and I am truly sorry that it has caused a lot of personal debate amongst you all against myself. That was never my intention," she said.
Ms George would not speak to the Taranaki Daily News following the extraordinary meeting to deal with her actions. "Never to you guys again," she said as she was whisked away to be surrounded by a small group of supporters, some of whom were hostile to the media presence.
It was from within this group of supporters that the boos had come just 30 minutes earlier when deputy mayor Alex Matheson condemned Ms George's actions against Town and Country Foods.
"Councillor George has denigrated the town of Waitara and she has also denigrated the council officers for saying the shop had opened up without consent. That was nonsense," he said.
Mayor Harry Duynhoven said the council's censure of Ms George was appropriate despite being aware many people expected her to resign over the scandal that saw her branded racist and accused of using her council position for personal gain.
Her resignation was not something the mayor or the council could force, Mr Duynhoven said, but rather a decision for Ms George who he knew still had strong support in Waitara.
"The [Clifton] community board have expressed support for her tenor, her determination. She is a very strong person who works hard on behalf of her people. But in this case council believes there was an error in judgment that brought her and council into dispute," he said.
Although many will see the punishment as little more than a slap with a wet bus ticket, five councillors believed it too harsh and voted for an amendment that would have seen her dropped from just one committee.
Five was not enough to get it passed and the Monitoring Committee's recommendation to remove Ms George from four council committees and representative type bodies was upheld.
Following a karakia from councillor Howie Tamati to recognise the seriousness of the actions taken against Ms George she walked quickly out of the meeting.
CUT LOOSE
The New Plymouth District Council has decided to remove councillor Sherril George from four positions: Police Liaison Working Party Funding Subcommittee Hearings Commission TRC Taranaki Solid Waste Management Committee.
MATT RILKOFF
Taranaki Daily News
Sorry she may be for the fuss, but councillor Sherril George remains unrepentant about her actions in Waitara's Town and Country affair.
Instead, in a sometimes confusing statement read out to her fellow councillors yesterday afternoon, Ms George blamed the interpretation put on her actions for the scandal and stated she would probably do it all again.
Minutes later the New Plymouth District councillors censured and stripped their colleague of four council positions as punishment for her attempt to organise a boycott against Cambodian-owned business Town and Country Foods in February.
Although tearful and apologetic for the way her actions were interpreted, Ms George did not take the opportunity yesterday afternoon to apologise to Town and Country Food owner Hoyt Khuon.
However, she did regret the impact it had taken on her and expressed concern for the what it had done to her community.
"Again, I am truly sorry that this has caused so much friction in the community and I am truly sorry that it has caused a lot of personal debate amongst you all against myself. That was never my intention," she said.
Ms George would not speak to the Taranaki Daily News following the extraordinary meeting to deal with her actions. "Never to you guys again," she said as she was whisked away to be surrounded by a small group of supporters, some of whom were hostile to the media presence.
It was from within this group of supporters that the boos had come just 30 minutes earlier when deputy mayor Alex Matheson condemned Ms George's actions against Town and Country Foods.
"Councillor George has denigrated the town of Waitara and she has also denigrated the council officers for saying the shop had opened up without consent. That was nonsense," he said.
Mayor Harry Duynhoven said the council's censure of Ms George was appropriate despite being aware many people expected her to resign over the scandal that saw her branded racist and accused of using her council position for personal gain.
Her resignation was not something the mayor or the council could force, Mr Duynhoven said, but rather a decision for Ms George who he knew still had strong support in Waitara.
"The [Clifton] community board have expressed support for her tenor, her determination. She is a very strong person who works hard on behalf of her people. But in this case council believes there was an error in judgment that brought her and council into dispute," he said.
Although many will see the punishment as little more than a slap with a wet bus ticket, five councillors believed it too harsh and voted for an amendment that would have seen her dropped from just one committee.
Five was not enough to get it passed and the Monitoring Committee's recommendation to remove Ms George from four council committees and representative type bodies was upheld.
Following a karakia from councillor Howie Tamati to recognise the seriousness of the actions taken against Ms George she walked quickly out of the meeting.
CUT LOOSE
The New Plymouth District Council has decided to remove councillor Sherril George from four positions: Police Liaison Working Party Funding Subcommittee Hearings Commission TRC Taranaki Solid Waste Management Committee.
2 comments:
The white people are the most racist in the world.
Real economy should rest on real old people not new comers!.
Oops! what was the old island name before the white set foot on it and called New Zealand ?
Oh, I have unrelated question whether anyone can remember (some scholar may be?).What was the name of Philippine before Spain took over that nation. Just pure academic no political motive involved in my last question. Thanks.
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