11-08-2025
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Radich stands by letter to government
Despite community backlash and being opposed to writing it, Dunedin Mayor Jules Radich is standing by his letter to the government seeking sanctions against Israel.
Critics said Mr Radich's letter — sent to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters on July 2 asking them to back Green Party co-leader Chloe Swarbrick's Unlawful Occupation of Palestine Sanctions Bill — was embarrassing, a cop-out and read like a "word salad".
"The whole tone of your letter pretty much reads like you were forced to write it at gunpoint," one email to the mayor read.
Others said the tone of the letter was appropriate given backing the Bill was "none of local government's business".
Mr Radich said the letter accurately reflected how the council arrived at the decision to send it following the lodgement of a "divisive" motion.
Dunedin city councillors narrowly passed a motion at June's community services committee meeting to support the Bill and chairwoman Marie Laufiso's casting vote was required to break a 7-7 tie.
Mr Radich, who voted against the motion, was directed to write to Mr Luxon and Mr Peters asking government MPs to back the Bill.
In his letter, he also detailed the vote's outcome and said the situation in the Middle East was of great concern to many Dunedin residents.
"There are also many who do not think that international relations are the business of local government," he wrote.
Correspondence released to the Otago Daily Times under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act showed Mr Radich's letter was not welcomed by those who supported the Bill.
In the week from July 2, Mr Radich received communications from seven people criticising him and his letter.
One person said Mr Radich should recall and rewrite it with "some degree of pride" in his position and should accept it with grace when a decision went against him.
One email said Mr Radich had intentionally misconstrued a council decision.
"You have chosen to throw your toys out of the cot, rather than to uphold collective responsibility," another said.
He also received three emails in support of his letter, from those who felt the decision to back the Bill was "none of local government's business".
Between July 4 and 14, Mr Radich and councillors received 2284 impersonal emails from "concerned American and global citizens", urging them not to support the motion to support the Greens' Bill.
Council chief information officer Graeme Riley said it was not uncommon for councillors to receive bulk emails when considering "contentious" issues.
Mr Radich said he stood by the letter, saying it was "an accurate description of what happened".
"Trying to divide our council and our community by asking the government to support an opposition party Bill, I think is ... inappropriate and it's just looking to create further division in the community."
He had not received a response from Mr Luxon or Mr Peters.
