Christchurch City councillor Aaron Keown in hot water over Merivale wives comment

Christchurch City Councillor Aaron Keown. Photo / Getty Images

City councillor Aaron Keown has got himself into another stoush – this time over a comment he made about Merivale wives.

"I look at Banks Peninsula as more like a Merivale wife – they look really good but very expensive," is the analogy Cr Keown used to describe the area during city council Long Term Plan funding discussions on Monday.

But on Wednesday women in Merivale struck back, saying it was "sexist" and "tall poppy".

Merivale resident, business owner, property developer and mother Michelle Crouch said the comment contributed to a widespread negative stereotype about women in the suburb.

"People say that kind of thing all the time, they think it's a joke . . . It's just a perception people have and it sounds like tall poppy syndrome," she said.

However, Councillor Keown told The Star that his comments were not meant to be taken as sexist, only as a "comedic quip to lighten the mood" during LTP discussions.

"Normally good looking wives are expensive. It's expensive for hairdressers and make-up and clothes . . . they don't shop at The Warehouse."

A Merivale wife that did not want to be named called Cr Keown's comment "incredibly sexist." Mayor Lianne Dalziel was not impressed either. During the meeting, she ruled it out of order.

"I know what you're trying to say, it just really was a very bad way to try and say it," she said.

But Cr Keown disagreed. He said, if anything, it should be taken as a compliment and he never said the women hadn't earned the money themselves.

"It's a compliment to Akaroa, which is not cheap, according to our budget. I was comparing Merivale women to one of the best looking places in the world."

"Maybe they're good looking and cheap then, I don't know
. . . it can't be a coincidence that all the Botox clinics are in Merivale."

• 2012 Keown said more people would cycle if helmets didn't mess up their hair.

• 2013 after allegedly receiving an abusive message, he posted the phone number on his Facebook page, encouragng people to abuse them back.

• 2013 he was investigated by the Solicitor General for helping reveal the identity of two men accused of bashing cricketer Jesse Ryder with name supression.

• 2013 he was also told to remove his Canterbury District Health Board election sign from CDHB property.

• 2013 As well as putting up his own 'No street workers at all times' signs in St Albans, which were removed by city council staff.

• 2018 At the start of April, signs that he put on Stop signs in Harewood, encouraging submissions on the LTP, were also removed.