“Were You Listening?”: Tense Standoff as Invercargill Councillor Refuses to Apologize
By Diyatha News New Zealand (Southern Bureau)
INVERCARGILL — Wednesday, February 4, 2026 — The halls of the Invercargill City Council were filled with a “deafening silence” this week as a six-term councillor flatly refused to apologize for a sharp verbal jab aimed at a committee chairwoman.
The confrontation, which lasted a tense 12 seconds in public view, has once again exposed the “choppy waters” of Invercargill’s local politics, leaving Chairwoman Alex Crackett and Councillor Ian Pottinger at a total deadlock.
1. The Clock, The Question, and The Silence
The incident unfolded during a committee meeting discussion regarding council spending on the city’s historic clock. When Pottinger began criticizing the expenditure, Crackett intervened, stating that the matter was not up for debate until a formal report returned to the table.
The exchange quickly turned personal:
- Crackett: Asked Pottinger if he had a formal question.
- Pottinger: Snapped back, “Yeah, I asked the question, were you listening?”
The comment drew an immediate “point of order” from Councillor Grant Dermody, who demanded an apology. Pottinger, however, stood his ground, retorting that Dermody should “refrain and learn about council” before interjecting.
2. The 12-Second Standoff
Crackett, maintaining her composure, asked Pottinger for an apology. What followed was a grueling 12-second period of silence as the chamber waited for a response that never came.
Eventually, Crackett broke the stalemate, stating she would take the matter up “offline.” Since the meeting, both parties have confirmed that no apology has been offered or accepted.
3. “Professionalism and Respect” vs. “Unsure Why”
Speaking after the event, both councillors remained firm in their positions:
- Alex Crackett: Emphasized that while robust debate is vital to democracy, it must be conducted with professionalism. “As the chair, I was well in line to pull him up,” she said, indicating the matter may now be handled through formal governance processes.
- Ian Pottinger: Stated he remains “unsure” what he actually needs to apologize for. He also noted a technicality—that Dermody could not legally raise a point of order because he was not a formal member of that specific committee (a detail later confirmed by the council).
4. A History of Council Stir-Ups
This is far from Pottinger’s first brush with controversy in the council chambers. The long-serving councillor has a reputation for “irking” his colleagues:
- May 2025: He frustrated Councillor Darren Ludlow by dryly suggesting he “hadn’t received the email that democracy was not in place today.”
- March 2025: He was forced to apologize after a gaffe where he appeared to assume the gender of all mayors was male.
- Relationship with the Mayor: Pottinger has also been a vocal critic of Mayor Nobby Clark, previously filing code of conduct complaints against him.
