Leaders of the Napier Youth Council wrote to the chief executive of Napier City Council after a public event they attended, claiming Napier Mayor Richard McGrath called them a “bunch of idiots who can’t use pen and paper”.
By Linda Hall, Local Democracy Reporter
McGrath denies he said this and says he believes the Youth Council has been unfairly dragged into a political game.
The claim is one of several “concerns” raised by youth council leaders in an email addressed to the council’s CEO, Louise Miller, and councillor Shyann Raihania.
It was sent three days after a Napier City Council "open house" held in the Municipal Theatre on April 20, and has been obtained by Local Democracy Reporting through a Local Government Information and Meetings Act request.
McGrath has had his leadership questioned several times since taking the reins of the council less than a year ago.
His executive assistant, Vanessa Smith-Glintenkamp, resigned in December last year, claiming in her resignation letter that it was because of McGrath’s “disregard for Treaty principles”.
He stood down his first Deputy Mayor, Sally Crown, after she refused to resign and instead requested the mayor undergo leadership training for what she called “ad-hoc”, “reckless” and “chaotic” decision-making.
He then appointed Roger Brownlie as his second deputy, but councillors, unhappy at the process, asked for a rethink.
McGrath decided to remove Brownlie from the role to allow councillors to vote on a third deputy mayor in less than a month.
Long-term Councillor Graeme Taylor, the only nominee, was appointed to the role at an extraordinary meeting on March 17.
Miller said the matters raised by the Youth Council were not made as a formal complaint requiring an investigation, but she had taken the concerns it had raised seriously.
Miller said she had since met with the co-chairs of the Youth Council.
She said they remained in “close contact as we work constructively together on several actions to strengthen support, communication and relationships moving forward”.
The allegations
The email to Miller and Raihania is titled "Concerns Regarding Engagement and Support for Napier Youth Council" and includes a section titled "Conduct and Communication from the Mayor".
The email said Youth Council members were becoming increasingly concerned about what they claim are repeated instances of “inappropriate and disrespectful comments” by the mayor towards members of the Napier Youth Council.
The email gives three examples of remarks the Youth Council claims were “not in line with the expectations of someone in a leadership position”.
They were:
- Referring to Napier Youth Council as “a waste of ratepayers’ money” on an unknown date
- Making similar comments to parents at Youth Grants awards ceremony in past years
- Stating during the Napier City Council Open House that we were a “bunch of idiots who can’t use pen and paper”.
The Open House on April 20 was designed to allow the public to ask questions in an informal space and take a behind-the-scenes look at Council’s work and the activities and services that rates are spent on.
'Off-the-cuff' comment
McGrath said in a statement that while he did make an “off-the-cuff comment” to some Youth Council members about being on their phones, “I did not use the words ‘bunch of idiots’".
“I am disappointed that this matter has found its way into the public arena in the way that it has and I am concerned that our Youth Council members have been caught up in broader council dynamics that they should not have to navigate. That is not fair on them, and it is not okay,” McGrath said.
He said any parent, grandparent or teacher would recognise the familiar “put the phone down” line.
He said his remark at the Open House was intended in that spirit, “as light-hearted banter, not as a serious criticism”.
“I believe I was misheard in what was a noisy and lively environment. However, I acknowledge it may have landed differently than intended and I apologise to our Youth Council members for any offence caused.”
'His tone is dismissive and belittling'
The email said the rangatahi were actively attempting to engage with and learn from civic processes and should be treated with respect.
“Mayor McGrath, as a public leader, sets the tone for how others engage with us.
“When his tone is dismissive and belittling, it directly impacts our confidence, our ability to contribute meaningfully, and how the wider community engages with Napier Youth Council.”
The email claims it is an “ongoing pattern of behaviour” that contributes to the Youth Council feeling it is being “tokenised” within the council.
McGrath said as a former holder of the council’s youth portfolio, he cared deeply about youth engagement and the important role Youth Council plays in Napier.
“I have advocated for young people to have a voice at the council table, attended Youth Awards wherever possible and supported initiatives that strengthen youth participation in civic life.”
He said in his time on council, he had championed additional funding to support the Youth Council’s work “because I believe in backing that commitment with real resources”.
Other concerns raised by the youth council in the letter were being given short notice for council events and therefore inadequate time to prepare, not being provided equal resources, and limited proactive engagement and conversations from elected members.
They said their goal in raising the concerns was to address them constructively and work together to “rebuild a positive and respectful relationship” between the Youth Council, the Council, and elected members.
– LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
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