‘I am a man of many words’: Councillor says he will keep tape over his mouth

Tuesday, 24 February 2026

A Dunedin councillor who put tape over his face and was removed from a meeting by fellow councillors, plans to continue his silent protest.

Benedict Ong, a first term councillor on the Dunedin City Council was escorted from a council building after attending the meeting between councillors and local MPs on Friday morning.

Ong told Stuff that he had sourced the tape for his mouth from a nearby visitor information centre.

“It was not pre-planned,” Ong said of the protest, but he did confirm that he had been invited to attend the meeting, even submitting questions in advance.

“Anyone who said I gatecrashed that meeting . . . that is a false characterisation.”

Ong said his supplied questions centred around whether attendees would support the India/New Zealand free trade agreement, which “is going to benefit our city tremendously and our university tremendously”.

“It is an opportunity that we need to seize on.”

He planned to talk on that matter - after removing the tape - but instead was handed a letter by Mayor Sophie Barker.

That letter, which Ong took a photo of at the meeting, reprimanded him over his previous behaviour towards Barker and the council’s chief executive, while noting his lack of apology.

That same letter confirmed Ong would be removed from council appointments and privileges, which included attending informal meetings, unless such time as he apologised.

Ong told Stuff he had no intention of apologising.

“It would be easier if they stopped blocking my notice of motions, and putting health and safety orders against me.”

“Maybe I should have an apology for all that has taken place against me.”

Earlier this month Ong has his access to the Civic Centre restricted until a health and safety assessment was completed.

That was ordered by the council’s chief executive over concerns if him approaching staff, while Ong also remains subject of a code of conduct complaint over a comment he made about a staff member.

Ong said he was not sure if he was allowed to attend Tuesday’s full council meeting, but planned to attend.

“I have no great expectations, except I have the great expectations that I am going to serve Dunedin City, my home town, for my lifetime ahead.”

He planned to wear tape over his mouth to the meeting.

Asked how he was going to take part in the meeting if his mouth was taped shut, he confirmed he would remove it, “when I have to speak”.

While he understood that some people were becoming increasingly frustrated by Ong’s politicking, he added “I am frustrated by the continued and repeated effort to prevent me from serving our community”.

“All I am trying to do is what I am elected to do, serve and deliver to our community.”

That included freezing future rate rises, and growing the local economy, he said.

“I am a man of many words.“

But not with tape over this mouth: “Unfortunately not”, he said.