Marlborough’s mayor has criticized the district’s two ACT Party councillors after they filed a motion that was originally written for a different local government body. According to Local Democracy Reporting, Malcolm Taylor filed the notice of motion in June, with seconding from John Hyndman, before withdrawing it at the council table on August 13, 2026.
Motion Written for Far North District
The notice of motion proposed stricter rules for reports presented to councillors, including mandatory sections detailing how decisions impact rates, professional staff assessments, and clear outlines of alternatives. However, the document acknowledged that the Marlborough council was already implementing nearly all of the suggested changes and even contained a direct reference to the Far North District Council.
According to Malcolm Taylor, he obtained the document from Far North ACT councillor Davina Smoulders following a Zoom meeting that distributed the text to a network of councillors across the country. Taylor told Local Democracy Reporting that he filed the motion the very next day to ensure the proposed reporting improvements became mandatory rather than remaining mere best practice.
Marlborough Mayor Nadine Taylor expressed frustration over the filing, stating that the councillors failed to approach her with their concerns beforehand. According to the mayor, the document was clearly a party initiative that brought no benefit to Marlborough and unnecessarily consumed council staff time and resources.
Bill Passage Sparks Withdrawal and Debate
Malcolm Taylor ultimately withdrew the motion during the Thursday meeting, explaining to councillors that a local government amendment bill had just passed its first reading in Parliament and already accomplished everything the notice of motion requested.
Despite the withdrawal, the move triggered procedural friction among elected officials. Councillor Gerald Hope argued that the council should have the opportunity to debate the motion, noting its appearance at the table was unprecedented in his time on the council. Councillor Deborah Dalliessi also attempted to speak on the matter, telling Local Democracy Reporting that she had supported the motion initially but was unaware until the meeting that an external party had drafted it.
Mayor Nadine Taylor halted the discussion by citing council standing orders, which prohibit debate on a withdrawn motion. Following a brief recess to seek legal advice, the mayor reaffirmed that the rules barred any further debate on the item, concluding the matter without additional discussion.
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