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Speaker 1: Hamilton Council is in a bit of trouble for a

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Speaker 1: letter he wrote to a neighboring district council. The whipa

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Speaker 1: district Council, Andrew Bidder made a submission to Hypa over

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Speaker 1: the placement of a third bridge and Cambridge. To give

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Speaker 1: you an idea of why this is so controversial, here's

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Speaker 1: a line from the submission that I'm going to have

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Speaker 1: to heavily census so we don't get BSA. What the

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Speaker 1: F word? Are you? Two offensive words for intellectually disabled people,

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Speaker 1: the R word and the S word sees doing. So

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Speaker 1: let's talk to Andrew bidd about this. Hey, Andrew, I

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Speaker 1: have it. Andrew, why did you use this language?

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Speaker 2: Because anyone who's ever complaining to a council will know

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Speaker 2: the five deeds of bureaucracy, delay, the fair, deny, defend, dismiss.

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Speaker 2: If you're polite, I know from experience, nothing happens. It

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Speaker 2: is a waste of time. You're earlier arsk all about

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Speaker 2: clean slates and three strikes. Ypawer Council does not have

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Speaker 2: a clean slate. It's been through its three strikes. I

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Speaker 2: have tried to be polite in the past and never

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Speaker 2: got anywhere. I did this because it cannot be ignored.

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Speaker 2: It was the only way to get a reaction and

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Speaker 2: to get the issue dealt with. Right, not do it

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Speaker 2: this way, but if it's the only way they react,

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Speaker 2: then I have to.

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Speaker 1: Okay, it sounds to me like you're in legal trouble,

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Speaker 1: right Your Mayor Paula Southgate has called the lawyers in.

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Speaker 2: Well. The New Zealand Bill of Rights, Section fourteen states

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Speaker 2: everyone has the right to freedom of expression to impart

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Speaker 2: opinions of any kind in any form.

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Speaker 1: There are restrictions on that, Andrew, there are restrictions. I

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Speaker 1: can't even say those words on air. I would lose

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Speaker 1: my job.

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Speaker 2: That's related to the broadcasting standards. You have the right

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Speaker 2: to say those words, just not necessarily on the air.

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Speaker 1: Look, and I love freedom of speech and stuff, but

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Speaker 1: there are professional expectations. This is not particularly professional, is it.

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Speaker 2: Well, at one key point is I didn't do this

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Speaker 2: as a Hamilton City councilor. I am a White Paw resident,

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Speaker 2: a wye PA ratepayer. I did this because it affects

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Speaker 2: my wife power property. And I did it on the

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Speaker 2: White Power Council website. Okay, so there was nothing to

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Speaker 2: do with Hamilton City Council about this.

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Speaker 1: Andrew, if you think about the particular the potential ramifications

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Speaker 1: of what you've done, was it really worth it to

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Speaker 1: draw attention to the bridge? Like, really was it right?

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Speaker 2: So the way that Ye Power Council did this, it's

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Speaker 2: having an impact on one hundred houses and probably wiping

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Speaker 2: out half their value. So that's a fifty million dollar cockup.

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Speaker 1: Is that a yes? Then yes, Andrew, thank you, I

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Speaker 1: really appreciate your time. That's Andrew Bitter. Hamilton City Council

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Speaker 1: councilor or why Power distract Councils put out a statement

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Speaker 1: saying his assertion that the process was altered by his

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Speaker 1: letters entirely false. His feedback was treated the same as

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Speaker 1: any other piece of feedback and did not change the approach.

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Speaker 2: For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive, Listen live to

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Speaker 2: news Talks 'd B from four pm weekdays, or follow

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