He said the mayor and councillors were focused on representing the district during events that drew national attention.
Smolders’ post remained visible for at least 10 hours before its removal this morning.
She later said she acted in good faith, that the post’s timing had nothing to do with Waitangi week, and that she believed the information to be true when she shared it.
Labour Party general secretary Rob Salmond confirmed Labour had not yet selected a candidate for the Northland electorate.
He would not comment on whether Tepania was being considered or on the identities of any nominees.
Smolders, who owns a Kerikeri business and was elected to the Bay of Islands‑Whangaroa general ward seat in October under the Act Local banner, said she had been told by several individuals that Tepania had secured the candidacy.
“I believed that to be public information,” Smolders said.
Far North Mayor Moko Tepania. Photo / NZME
Her now-deleted post also raised concerns about three new positions within the mayor’s office.
She questioned whether these were justified, transparent and fully focused on council business.
She said ratepayers deserved assurance these positions would not be used to assist with political activities or compensate for time spent on external commitments, particularly if the mayor was considering a run for Parliament.
Smolders said she had posted the information after hearing it from what she described as multiple credible sources.
She said mistakes could happen and that the important thing was correcting the error once it became clear the information was not correct.
Smolders said she had removed the post as soon as she realised the information was incorrect and had not intended to mislead anyone.
Garcia said FNDC elected members were bound by the council’s code of conduct, which required them to act with integrity and ensure any information they shared, especially in a public forum, was accurate.
He said the issue would be handled through formal FNDC processes after Waitangi week concluded.
Smolders said she believed she had acted responsibly and in line with the expectations of integrity placed on elected representatives.
She said transparency was important and that if any mayor was seeking parliamentary office, the public should be informed about how potential conflicts and workload would be managed.
Smolders said clarity on whether a mayor would step down if elected to Parliament was also important.
Meanwhile, Salmond said candidate nominations opened in August, with candidate lists due to be submitted to the Electoral Commission by October 8.
Labour had confirmed candidates in around 30 electorates so far, with roughly 40 more to be considered in the coming months.
He would not provide a specific timeline for the Northland decision but said the party was working through its standard selection procedures.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.