Stuff Digital Edition

Mayor stands alone against pro jab move

Sharnae Hope

A mayor who has refused to get the Pfizer vaccine, has voted against a motion by her colleagues strongly suggesting all elected members get vaccinated.

Thames Coromandel mayor Sandra Goudie revealed to Stuff she wasn’t vaccinated and would wait for Novavax – but, when pushed, she wouldn’t commit to taking that, either.

Her stance was deemed ‘‘massively irresponsible’’ by a leading scientist and one of her own colleagues, councillor Gary Gotlieb, called for her resignation, saying Goudie was taking advantage of her position to ‘‘play politics’’ and put people at risk.

While conversations were kept brief in the Thames council chambers yesterday, it was made clear where the majority sat on the matter, approving a motion that elected members ‘‘should seriously consider being vaccinated’’.

The notice of motion was delivered to CEO Rob Williams by councillor John Morrissey on October 18, four days after Goudie went public on her views. It stated that the council ‘‘categorically supports’’ the Government’s vaccination programme and recommends ‘‘all elected members and staff, whether it is mandated or not, should seriously consider being vaccinated in line with the Ministry of Health’s advice unless there are health reasons for an exemption.’’

All nine councillors voted in favour of the recommendation with Morrissey moving the motion and Terry Walker seconding it.

Stating her view that personal choice is a ‘‘fundamental right in the Bill of Rights’’, Goudie was unswayed by her peers, voting against the motion.

Before any discussion on her stance, however, she quickly moved on to the next item on the agenda.

It wasn’t until it came to the end of the meeting, that Gotlieb, tuning in via livestream, circled back to the vote.

‘‘I’m going to talk about the elephant in the room,’’ said Gotlieb, when he was given a brief moment to speak.

‘‘I’m really pleased the council passed the resolution. Now that was unanimous [for councillors]. If we want to get Thames Coromandel back and operating again we have to vaccinate and that’s what that resolution said.’’

Goudie asked only if Gotlieb had any other matters to raise in his role as a councillor.

Gotlieb continued to point out his disapproval of Goudie’s stance, making mention of all the emails he had been ‘‘consumed by’’. Goudie refused to take the bait and shut down the conversation.

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en-nz

2021-10-27T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-10-27T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://stuff.pressreader.com/article/281522229297237

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