Today, RNZ reported:
Wellington mayoral candidate Ray Chung says, in hindsight, sending an email containing third-hand claims about a sexual encounter with mayor Tory Whanau might not have been the best idea.
Chung sent an email, seen by RNZ, to three fellow councillors in early 2023 recounting a story he had been told about Whanau by his neighbour about the neighbour's son.
Whanau has declined to be interviewed, but in a statement said the claims were a "malicious and sexist rumour".
"What's deeply concerning is that some of the individuals spreading these harmful falsehoods are now standing for election," she said.
"Ray Chung has circulated a malicious and sexist rumour - a tactic designed to dehumanise, wear people down, and discourage good people from standing for public office.
She said she was seeking legal advice.
Chung’s email, which falsely alleged Whanau’s involvement in a drug-fuelled sex scandal, is the kind of malicious, sexist tripe that belongs in the gutter, not the council chamber. This isn’t just a lapse in judgement; it’s a calculated smear that reveals Chung’s character as a petty, vindictive opportunist who’d rather sling mud than engage in substantive governance.
Let’s be clear: Chung’s email wasn’t a private musing. It was a deliberate attempt to tarnish Whanau’s reputation, sent to fellow councillors under the flimsy pretext of seeking their “opinions” about the then-newly elected mayor. His weak defence, that he was an “inexperienced councillor” unaware of the propriety expected of public officials, is laughable.
Chung, a sitting councillor for the Wharangi/Onslow-Western Ward, isn’t some naive newcomer. He’s a seasoned operator who knew exactly what he was doing: weaponising third-hand gossip to undermine a female colleague. That he now claims “hindsight” and newfound “wisdom” only underscores his cowardice in refusing to own the malice behind his actions.
This isn’t Chung’s only misstep. His track record is littered with conduct that raises serious questions about his suitability for Wellington City Council, let alone the mayoralty. In April 2025, Chung skipped a critical council meeting to schmooze with donors at a “fancy lunch” for his campaign launch, prompting even his independent allies to recoil.
Mayor Whanau rightly called him out for prioritising wealthy backers over the community’s needs, a damning indictment of his skewed priorities. His campaign, bankrolled by rich-lister Sir Mark Dunajtschik, who decries Wellington’s “serious decline,” reeks of elitism, with Chung promising to slash council jobs despite admitting he doesn’t even know what many of these workers do.
This cavalier disregard for public servants’ livelihoods betrays a man more interested in grandstanding than understanding the machinery of local government. Chung’s affiliation with the “Independent Together” ticket, which has raised eyebrows for its ties to questionable figures and funding, further muddies his credentials.
His policy platform, touting “zero rates increases” and a “back-to-basics” approach, is populist propaganda that collapses under scrutiny. Wellington’s infrastructure and services are creaking; slashing budgets without a clear plan is reckless and reeks of pandering to wealthy ratepayers over the city’s broader needs.
Then there’s Chung’s cavalier attitude toward council processes. His absence from key meetings and his willingness to spread unverified gossip suggest a man who sees public office as a stage for personal vendettas rather than a duty to serve.
Wellington deserves better than a councillor who trades in misogynistic innuendo and prioritises donor lunches over civic responsibility. Tory Whanau, despite facing relentless abuse, much of it gendered and racial, has shown resilience, delivering on key projects like the Golden Mile and the Long Term Plan.
Chung, by contrast, offers only divisive rhetoric and a trail of poor judgement. Ray Chung’s actions aren’t just unbecoming, they’re a complete disgrace. His smear against Whanau, coupled with his cavalier conduct and questionable affiliations, paints a picture of a man unfit to hold any position of trust on Wellington’s council.
Voters should reject this purveyor of filth and demand leaders who elevate discourse, not drag it into the sewer.
