A bristling Gary Kircher on Tuesday rejected as "reprehensible" an allusion by Patrick French, of Fluoride Free Waitaki, that the Waitaki District Council complying with the Ministry of Health compulsory fluoridation directive was akin to the "following orders" defence mounted by Nazi war criminals during the Nuremburg war crime trials.
The group has lobbied the council previously without success that it should disobey the director-general of health’s directive.
However, on Tuesday, the council allowed a fresh petition which enabled speaking rights before the October meeting.
After listening, Mr Kircher was unimpressed.
"You haven’t addressed the petition at all," he told Mr French
Mr French had used the "following orders" comparison in a moral argument.
"It is the same moral choice faced by German soldiers in the Second World War, whose defence of simply following orders ... was completely rejected by post-war courts and tribunals," Mr French told councillors.
Mr Kircher said to compare Waitaki’s fluoridation compliance to the "following orders" defence mounted in the aftermath of World War 2 was unacceptable.
"I find it reprehensible that you compare this to the Nuremburg trials.
"It is not the same as this — it’s not the case of saying we’re following orders.
"It is a slur on all of us to say it’s the same thing."
Mr Kircher also suggested the "evidence" being presented by Mr French was "an opinion".
"The director-general has a different opinion.
"We’re not scientists, we don’t pretend to be.
"We’re following a directive of somebody who is responsible for the good health of our country.
"Seeing one side is not seeing all the evidence," Mr Kircher said.
The council complied with the director-general of health’s directive to fluoridate from mid-July.
It began fluoridation at a minimum rate of 0.8mg/l.
On October 10 after being advised independently, the council temporarily "paused" fluoridation after tests found the dose rate in the water supply was above the recommended amount — although still safe for public drinking water standards.
As of October 21, recalibration of the fluoride dosing equipment for the water supply was still being worked through, a staff report to council said on Tuesday .
Mr French referred to the United States Federal Court ruling in September which he quoted as saying fluoridation above 0.7 mg/l presented "an unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment".
The new petition requested the council agree to ensure the dose level does not exceed 0.7mg/L.
"This is not merely a practical or economic decision. It is a moral and ethical decision."
Mr French said he was also frustrated at "the constant mantra of certain people in this chamber" echoing that the council had no choice "but to comply with the directive to fluoridate".
Councillors did have a choice.
"That is to open your minds and hearts to the overwhelming evidence of harm, and to respond with courage and integrity," Mr French said.
Mr French said Mr Kircher should also "stop playing with words" by saying the recent US ruling had not concluded "with certainty" that fluoridated water was a risk to public health.
The council seemed to ignore the evidence cited by Fluoride Free Waitaki previously of "permanent and irreversible harm".
"This will be the individual legacy of each one of you who refuses to put up any real, substantive resistance to this unconscionable, undemocratic and indefensible directive," he said.
"It is simply not good enough to say that you have no choice," Mr French said.
