Dunedin city councillor Lee Vandervis (left) has been removed as chair of the council's Disability Issues Advisory Group after the Disabled Person's Assembly raised concerns due to some of his past comments regarding Joshua Perry (right). Photo: Supplied: Dunedin City Council
A Dunedin city councillor - who once told a candidate with cerebral palsy that he was not up to the job - has been removed as chairperson of the council's Disability Issues Advisory Group.
Controversial six-term councillor Lee Vandervis was initially appointed to the role.
However, the Disabled Persons Assembly raised concerns due to Vandervis' past comments.
During the 2016 election campaign Vandervis told candidate Joshua Perry if he was successful in his bid to be elected to council, he would not be able to carry out the job due to his cerebral palsy.
At the time the 24-year-old Perry had completed a diploma of marketing at Otago Polytechnic and worked 20 hours a week as a marketing co-ordinator for an anti-violence group.
"I think his intentions were to intimidate me. But, rest assured, I'm not going to be intimidated," Perry told RNZ.
Vandervis, whose son was severely autistic, doubled down on the comments when interviewed by RNZ and claimed the private conversation had been used against him as part of a deliberate smear campaign.
"He can barely breathe or speak, he's wheelchair-bound," Vandervis said of Perry at the time.
"To be able to make any speech he has someone hold a microphone for him, someone hold the paper in front of him and point to the words he has to say.
"All of that degree of disability means he's simply unable to do the job of a councillor."
He also called Perry's father irresponsible for encouraging his son to stand for council.
"Who would kid their own son into thinking they could be a pole vault champion if they were in a wheelchair? I mean it's just ridiculous, is it not?
"Are you going to say that, in your PC world, that you simply can't accept any reality?"
As a result of those comments the Disabled Persons Assembly had serious misgivings about the appointment, assembly senior kaituitui Chris Ford said.
The assembly raised those concerns directly to Mayor Jules Radich, the council and its chief executive, Ford said.
The Dunedin City Council today voted to remove Vandervis as chair of the advisory group and instead appoint first-term councillor Mandy Mayhem.
Vandervis would instead take up Mayhem's planned role as the council's representative to Age Concern.
Councillor Christine Garey raised an objection to that appointment, but it passed.
The council's Disability Issues Advisory Group was yet to meet this term due to the impasse.
"This is a great decision. We welcome this constructive decision on the part of council," Ford said in response to Vandervis' removal.
"We feel they have listened to us as a disabled community."
He supported the appointment of Mayhem.
"I have only met Councillor Mayhem on two or three occasions so far, however, I have been impressed by her and we have a good rapport with one-another. I think she will also have a great rapport with the other members of the advisory group as well," Ford said.
