We have seen questions asked about the lack of mention of this day, marked yesterday, by the Kapiti Council, so Geoffrey had a chat with Cr Rob McCann today on the subject, with his long time involvement in this anti-bullying, anti-violence campaign.
Some readers will remember that in 2015 the KCDC self-declared itself to be a White Ribbon council, apparently instigated for political purposes by then Councilor Penny Gaylor, and banners were reportedly displayed the length of Kapiti Road. It resulted in Rob McCann telling the KCDC to ‘cease and desist’ as it had done nothing to meet White Ribbon’s three-stage accreditation process.
Not only that, it was bringing the organisation into disrepute as there were in that triennium complaints around the council table about bullying within the council and the common denominators in those complaints were the then Mayor Ross Church, then Chief Executive Mr Dougherty and Gaylor herself.
In 2015 the White Ribbon riders were welcomed at a function at the Paraparaumu Community Centre (although only two of the then councilors bothered attending — David Scott and Jackie Elliot.)
To date, only four of the country’s 77 local councils have passed the accreditation process as it requires more than just a statement of support for the principle.
The self-anointed designation of ‘NZ’s first white ribbon council’ was removed after Cr Elliot and myself filed separate complaints with Rob McCann in regard to KCDC in 2015.
I pointed out that the name of ‘White Ribbon’ had been shamefully invoked by Cr Gaylor in support of the flagrant lies of Cr Holborow. Neither Holborow nor Gaylor were called to account as liars, and of course never will be. ‘Justice ‘ is defined by the amount of money one can afford to throw at lawyers.
Cr Elliot had referred McCann to the way she and others had been bullied by Councillors and staff.
Cr Elliot was subsequently removed from her position as chair of the arts committee and her place taken by that well-known Kapiti aesthete and arts connoisseur Mike Cardiff. The manner by which Cr Elliot was removed was ‘interesting’. Mayor Church claimed she had failed to convene committee meetings. Yet senior staff ensured that any attempt to organise meetings was stymied. Cr Elliot was thereby placed in a no-win situation of a particularly scabrous kind and it was disgraceful to see her reduced to tears by the then mayor.
As the issue with Cr David Scott shows, there is still the ability to manipulate events among staff and Councillors should anyone become an inconvenience, and some very vindictive individuals remain on staff. Again, ‘justice’ relies on the amount of money one can expend on lawyers.
It is especially odd that KCDC, five years on, still does not commemorate White Ribbon Day or month, as they once did, and as dozens of other councils do, given that WR Trust manager Rob McCann is now a councilor. One would assume that Kapiti’s involvement would be particularly notable – not non-existent. What gives?