Monday, June 30, 2008

Media beat up Mayor's leave request

Mayor Len Brown in a written request to Council asked for a leave of absence for two months to allow him time to recover from his heart attack. Councillor David Collings (Pakuranga) without consulting anyone and presuming to know more about the mayor’s health status than the mayor himself proposed a six month leave of absence. The Council unanimously agreed to this but one wonders why Cr Collings would choose to second guess the Mayor Brown who presumably made the request in the hope of being back in two months. If at the end of that period he himself felt that he required more time undoubtedly it will be given.

Cr Collings comment that the whole Council “were kind of shocked” and “their bottom lip dropped” is way off the mark. Had I not wanted Len to have six month leave of absence I could have moved an amendment or voted against the six month period. I did neither.

Incidentally, there is no bad blood between John Walker and I. We have been friends for 35 years and in that time including many weeks on tour travelling together and sharing hotel rooms there has hardly ever been a cross word that has passed between us.

No comments: