New Plymouth mayor makes public apology to councillors after calling them ‘f….n critters’

Thursday, 25 June 2026

New Plymouth mayor Max Brough stood up to make his apology to councillors Sam Bennett and John Woodward.

New Plymouth mayor Max Brough has made a public apology to two of his district councillors for calling them “f….n critters” in their absence during a private workshop.

The first-term mayor opened Wednesday’s New Plymouth District Council meeting by standing and making a formal apology to councillors Sam Bennett and John Woodward.

“Today has a slightly unusual opening as I’m opening with an apology,” he said.

Councillor John Woodward listens to Brough’s apology.

“I would like to make an unreserved apology to councillor Bennett and councillor Woodward for the comments made recently by myself at a council session.

“I fell below the expectation I set for myself and others. I’m sorry.

“My hope moving forward is that councillor Bennett and councillor Woodward accept my apology with the same generosity and spirit that it is offered.”

The full context of what was said by Brough had not been made public but it was believed to have involved expletives directed at Bennett and Woodward — two councillors who stood against the mayor at the last local body elections.

Bennett said he believed there were further expletives directed at the pair but they had not been picked up by the recording. The allegations relayed back to him met a threshold that would have justified Brough tendering his resignation, he said.

It was believed the workshop session in June was recorded for those councillors who were absent and Brough’s remarks were captured on the recording.

Ordinarily, comments like those made by any elected member to a fellow councillor would result in a code of conduct complaint.

Councillor Sam Bennett accepted the apology.

However, it was believed the two complainants settled for a public apology.

Asked during a break at Wednesday’s meeting to elaborate on what had led him to make the apology, Brough said he had made a “flippant” remark with a group of councillors.

“We were having a training session and ironically the training session was on not making flippant remarks,” he said.

“It was out of order and [the apology] is fair. It was asked for and I thought it was due.”

Neither Bennett nor Woodward responded to the apology at the meeting.

However, Bennett said later that he had appreciated the public apology and his expectation now was that the mayor’s behaviour would be in line to what he expected from his councillors.