Whangārei District councillor Jayne Golightly has had a complaint made against her that she broke council confidentiality by allegedly discussing matters on a radio show that had been held in a confidential meeting.
Whangārei District councillor Jayne Golightly has had a complaint made against her that she broke council confidentiality by allegedly discussing matters on a radio show that had been held in a confidential meeting.
A Whangārei District councillor has apologised to her colleagues for revealing information from a confidential council meeting that is also subject to a Code of Conduct complaint.
A formal Code of Conduct complaint has been laid with the council by a member of the public alleging councillor Jayne Golightly breachedcouncil confidentiality when she made a comment on a radio show last month.
Golightly was being interviewed by radio host Sean Plunket when she allegedly made comments relating to a matter that had been discussed in the council’s confidentiality section.
The item related to contractor Jimmy Daisley, who won a High Court judgment for $6.1 million from the council. Daisley won judgments against the district council over a wrongly filed resource consent that the council used to pursue him over his quarry and led to his 17-year battle for justice.
The complaint to the council said: “Firstly, it seems councillor Jayne Golightly appears to have broken confidence in the Jim Daisley matter to Sean Plunket of the Platform, and highly likely to other members of the public.
“Secondly, was councillor Jayne Golightly authorised to make comments on behalf of the Whangārei District Council? or were these comments of a personal nature, and did she make it clear to Sean Plunket from the Platform?”
Whangārei District councillor Jayne Golightly has apologised to her fellow councillors for revealing information from a confidential council meeting
Council CEO Simon Weston has accepted the complaint and appointed an independent investigator - James Crichton from Three60 Consulting - to undertake the investigation into the complaint.
As the matter falls within the 2019 Elected Members Code of Conduct, the complaint is forwarded to an independent investigator, who will make a preliminary assessment to determine whether the issue is sufficiently serious to warrant a full investigation. A full investigation would determine if the breach, if proven, brings a member or the council into disrepute or, if not addressed; reflects adversely on another member of council.
The Northern Advocate approached Golightly for comment and received the following response:
“As a WDC councillor, there are many decisions made during confidential meetings of which we are unable to speak of, and some of those decisions have been distressing. The treatment of Mr Daisley over the past 17 years by a WDC error has been one of these.
“I spoke to Sean Plunket during his interview with Mr Daisley on the Platform and I made a statement to him that I should not have as we were under the boundaries of a confidential item.
“I apologised immediately to my fellow councillors for this and there is now an investigative process underway. I respect that process and will be more than happy to elaborate my statement once the outcome is complete.”
