Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith was speaking at the community meeting.
Photo: RNZ / Finn Blackwell
A local body member has apologised for his finger gun gesture toward the Minister of Justice at a heated community meeting in Auckland last week.
About 200 people in Mt Eden attended the fiery community meeting to discussed new high density building proposal, where tempers flared and residents expressed outrage at the plan.
During the meeting, Orakei local board member Troy Churton told the audience that Auckland Council had a gun to its head and was seen pointing his fingers, in the shape of a gun, toward local MP and Minister of Justice Paul Goldsmith, who was speaking at the time.
Churton is standing for re-election under the Communities and Residents (C&R) centre-right ticket and came under swift push back for his actions.
On Wednesday, in a statement Churton and C&R chairperson David Hay said emotions were running high at the meeting to what many see as significant and imposed changes to the character of Auckland’s suburbs.
The pair admitted that Churton made an inappropriate hand gesture, using finger guns toward Goldsmith.
However, the pair say it was not intended to threaten or intimidate, but it was inappropriate and did not reflect the respectful tone expected of C&R candidates.
Hay said the C&R Board have dealt with the incident via its own internal disciplinary processes and Churton has reservedly and sincerely apologised for his actions.
“I acknowledge the gesture was out of place,” he said.
“It came from a place of deep frustration over the direction of Plan Change 78 and its impact on Aucklanders, but I regret the way that frustration was expressed.”
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