Dunedin councillor walks out of budget meeting after refusing to apologize

odt.co.nz

Dunedin councillor Lee Vandervis walked out of a council meeting after refusing to apologize for comments about fellow councillors. The council was discussing the draft annual plan budget for 2026-27. Mayor Sophie Barker asked Vandervis to withdraw and apologize for calling two councillors successful business people, which he refused. The incident occurred after another point of order regarding Vandervis's description of a safety project as "nice to have." The council is currently deliberating spending levels, with a potential 10.5% rates increase looming.


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Dunedin councillor walks out of budget meeting after refusing to apologize | News Minimalist