Bob Parker calls meeting over leadership criticism

7:37 am on 16 September 2011

Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker has called a special meeting to discuss criticism of his leadership and claims by a councillor of a dysfunctional relationship between staff and councillors.

The member for the Burwood/Pegasus ward, Chrissie Williams, is resigning, saying elected representatives are being kept out of the decision-making loop.

Committee meetings have been suspended since the February earthquake because the council says it lacks the resources to hold them.

Ms Williams says Mr Parker has adopted a presidential style that has divided the council and led to bitter infighting over issues such as the reappointment of the chief executive.

She says Mr Parker tends to dominate meetings and only informs councillors who agree with him about impending changes or reports from council staff.

Mr Parker says the claims are untrue, and adds it is always easier to work with people who are prepared to engage with the mayor.

He says committee meetings were scrapped because they were putting an extra strain on staff already struggling with the extra workload created by the earthquakes.

The mayor says the special meeting, to be held on Monday, will not be open to the public.