Councillor Faces Fourth Complaint After Missing 5pm Deadline

Dunedin City Councillor Benedict Ong missed a 5pm Wednesday deadline to retract his claims that the city was secretly preparing to sell its forests. Instead of removing his social media posts, Ong published new content minutes before the cutoff. This action places him at risk of a fourth formal complaint under the council's code of conduct.

Chief Executive Richard Briggs issued a written warning to Ong earlier that day. The letter stated that Ong's allegations were false and demanded he take down his posts and publish a correction. Briggs noted that Ong had publicly alleged the mayor and other councillors were colluding against the city's interests without evidence. Briggs said he had given Ong the correct information during a public meeting, but the councillor had instead interrupted the speaker and continued to make untrue statements.

Ong had previously told reporters he would not remove his posts. He described the code of conduct complaints as being weaponized against him. In a Facebook post made minutes before the deadline, Ong set his claims to the song Tragical Irony by Audio Attack. He alleged that he had faced false and malicious coordinated political attacks since his election last October.

The letter from Briggs warned that a fourth finding would be viewed in the context of previous breaches. Ong was found in breach of the code three times in the past year. The most recent breach was upheld on October 29. As a result, he is serving a nine-month suspension from all council committees and subcommittees until July 2027. Briggs noted that this is the same length of suspension Ong received in May. That earlier penalty followed an investigation finding he had likely leaked information that could jeopardize the council's commercial interests.

In March, fellow councillors asked Ong to resign. He offered a reading from Franz Kafka's novel The Trial in response. He had been found to have accused a staff member of political bias and a lack of neutrality in an email to the chief executive and local media. Ong also claimed he would never resign. He later confirmed he would step down only if he did not win the Dunedin electorate seat.

Ong has been active in local politics since last October. He stood as an independent candidate in the Dunedin electorate. He was also trespassed from the University of Otago following student complaints. He continues to argue that his actions are justified by the political environment he has encountered since taking office.

Briggs said the council would consider the next steps. He stated that if required, the council would follow the standard code of conduct process. He emphasized that every complaint is treated individually. Briggs said no additional weight is considered when investigating repeated breaches. Each complaint is assessed objectively and independently of the Dunedin City Council.

Based on the findings of the independent investigator, elected members decide if a material breach has occurred. If so, they impose a penalty from the list in the code of conduct. Briggs said members can consider previous penalties when making that decision. He noted that speculation about Ong's plans to resign after the general election on Saturday would not affect the decision. All elected members are made aware of the code when they take office.

Briggs concluded that any decisions made in relation to the code are taken seriously. The council is now waiting to determine if the new posts warrant a formal fourth complaint. The process will involve an independent investigation followed by a vote among the elected members.

Ong's position remains unchanged. He maintains that the council is acting in a coordinated manner against him. The deadline has passed, and the council now holds the procedural decision on whether to initiate the next stage of the disciplinary process.