An Invercargill councillor has refused to apologise for words spoken during a tense public exchange. The situation unravelled during discussion about a projects report when Pottinger criticised council spending on the town's historic clock. Crackett told Pottinger the matter was not up for discussion that afternoon, and debate would take place when the report came back. The comment drew disapproval from councillor Grant Dermody, who called for a point of order and apology from the councillor. Crackett told Pottinger she would appreciate an apology, leading to a standoff which was finally broken by Crackett saying the pair would talk “offline”.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 04, 2026 08:03 UTC