I first met Victoria Barton-Chappell, the head of comms at Wellington Council, just before March 2022, when I commented on “the ugly hand sculpture” above the city gallery in Civic Square, and because I hadn’t fact-checked it with her, she decided to take umbrage with Wellington Live for not reporting things accurately, as Victoria sees it. 

The facts of the matter are, as we were told that the artist who built it had a dispute with Council over removal fees. 

She refused to respond and our toxic relationship kicked off. 

From there, Anna Calver, head of WCC growth and self described “cheer leader of Wellington” Council, who was previously in charge of tourism for Wellington NZ, decided that Wellington Live and one network was a competitor, and as the redacted documents showed, set out to crush that community. 

As we’ve witnessed it’s proven to be uncrushable.  By aggressive city officials who’s hell-bent on trying to make sure that a certain narrative is put forward. All under the watchful eye of Meredith Keys the director of Comms at WCC. Keyes decided that Wellington Live wasn’t a part of the media council, as such, we should be banned, not trusted, attacked, bullied, abused and canceled. 

The Abuse and bullying goes on… 

We were invited by the ex-mayor of Wellington, to attend the opening of Takina. I then asked if I could come, and Victoria Barton Chapple said “wait I’ll check”, responding with the comment  “we weren’t media ”. I then went to it as a guest. 

Victoria then set about having me forcefully removed with the support of Anna Calver and others. 

The same TAKINA we had spent years glorifying.

From this point I realized WCC comms was dead set on employing every dirty trick in the cancel a page tool set.

We then paused, requested official information requests and received some very troubling documents and feedback about a very troubling incident, where a council worker actually lied, that I assaulted someone at a basketball match. A game that Wellington Live was sponsoring. The incident never happened, and was a completely  false allegation  that the WCC CEO has apologized for. 

After 3 delays and 5 months I received 87 pages of heavily redacted material which led to Barbara McKerrow WCC CEO apologizing along with the head of democracy services saying that the 87 pages of abuse and bullying were below the values and council morals and standards. 

The comments and abuse shocked the whole team. 

We then utilized a modern Ai tool to remove the name redactions, exposing senior WCC managers, who in public were being positive supportive and in private abusive, aggressive and incredibly destructive. 

This episode still plays out with WCC head of security Richard Leverington blocking comms, emails, then passing them on. 

A complaint to the Ombudsman is in progress to ascertain WCC requirements to deliver comms under the local government act.

Whilst this abuse has been going on One Network Wellington LIVE has grown, but the effort and time that has been required to capture and deal with WCC abuse has escalated.