Councillor threatens to quit if Skelt returns

Invercargill city councillor Ria Bond. Photo: Supplied
Invercargill city councillor Ria Bond. Photo: Supplied
An Invercargill city councillor says she will never work with Cr Nigel Skelt again and will resign if he decides to return to the council table.

Cr Ria Bond spoke to Otago Daily Times this morning after documents released earlier this week showed Cr Skelt was the subject of a sexual harassment complaint from an 18-year-old female staff member before his departure as manager of ILT Stadium Southland.

Cr Nigel Skelt. Photo: ODT
Cr Nigel Skelt. Photo: ODT
Cr Skelt is on medical leave and mayor Nobby Clark said this week he continued to be a councillor in Invercargill.

Cr Bond said elected members should lead by example.

"I put my line in the sand - I will not work with Nigel Skelt. I will resign from the council.

"Because what does that tell our members of the public? They are the ones we have to be accountable to.

She said that if he continued in council, it would show "we are ignoring a serious behaviour problem".

She felt the electoral system should change as council did not have the power to ask him to resign unless he was convicted of a crime with a two-year prison sentence.

"I think his moral compass should indicate to himself that he should stand down and resign."

On Tuesday, Cr Peter Kett also said he believed he should stand down from his position within the council.

"I think he should do the right thing and resign from the council.

"I don't think he will come back and face the music. I definitely won't be rolling out the red carpet to welcome him back, that's for bloody sure."

Cr Alex Crakett then said it did not matter what she thought because there was no way they could force him to resign.

Crs Darren Ludlow and Trish Boyle said a decision on whether to continue on council could only be taken by Cr Skelt.

 

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