Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown snapped and swore at a journalist yesterday after being questioned about proposed cuts to arts funding, The Spinoff has reported.
Brown spoke at the opening of an exhibition at the Auckland Art Gallery last night amid cuts proposed to some of the council's contestable funds for cultural events and the arts.
The mayor defended the budget proposal in his speech.
"It's important to note that all community sectors that receive council funding are under review, not just the arts. Early childhood centres, citizens advice bureaux, and other community sectors face potential cuts under the current draft proposal," he said.
"The arts are not exempt from this review process; they are not 'sacred cows' outside the annual budget consultation process.
"Like all other sectors, they must participate in the current public process."
The Spinoff reported that playwright and journalist Sam Brooks introduced himself to Brown as a writer for the publication before questioning the mayor about his speech.
"Don't f****** come and talk to me, write a submission and make it clear that you value it," he reportedly said — referring to funding for the arts.
A spokesperson for the mayor's office said "a young man interrupted the mayor mid-conversation" to "aggressively question" Brown.
"At no time did he reveal he was a journalist from The Spinoff, instead introducing himself as a writer," the spokesperson said in a statement.
"Following a speech at the Auckland Art Gallery on Wednesday night, a young man interrupted the mayor mid-conversation to question him about potential cuts to council arts funding.
"The young man proceeded to aggressively question the mayor about the proposed council budget, to which he was directed to make a submission."
Aucklanders have been warned that this year's budget will be the "most important" in years — with cuts proposed to groups and services across the city.
Separate "regional contestable grants" for arts, events, sports groups, and heritage groups could be stopped entirely under the proposals in order to save around $3 million.
The budget proposals tackle a $295 million shortfall in the council's books and is the first budget proposed under mayor Wayne Brown.
Brown has had a prickly relationship with the media, including before he was elected Auckland's mayor in last year's elections and amid the response to January's unprecedented floods.
Auckland's mayor has been criticised for his response to flooding around the city. (Source: 1News)
A group text leaked to the NZ Herald showed Brown complaining about missing a game of tennis in order "to deal with media drongos over the flooding."
He later said he regretted the remark.
In December, Brown shut down other questions on his budget proposal from a Newshub reporter — forcing his hand over the journalist's camera in the process.
Wayne Brown triggered a share trading halt after comments at a council meeting. (Source: 1News)
Meanwhile, before the election, the mayoral candidate feuded with Herald journalist Simon Wilson whom Brown believed wasn't "neutral or independent".
Brown pulled out of a candidates debate moderated solely by Wilson and was later recorded joking about affixing photos of the journalist to council urinals.
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