Main suggests new talks to solve prayer standoff | Manawatu-Wanganui News | Local News in Manawatu-Wanganui

A meeting may be held this week to try to find a solution to the ongoing dispute over Wanganui District Council's controversial prayer.

Councillors have said a prayer before each full council meeting for many years.

However, the prayer attracted controversy when Councillor Clive Solomon, who was voted on to council in October last year, objected to it, and then later walked out of a council meeting after the prayer was recited twice.

A complaint over the prayer was lodged with the Human Rights Commission earlier this year.

Mr Solomon earlier told the Wanganui Chronicle he intended to complain to the commission, but later refused to confirm whether he had done so.

Mr Solomon told councillors he was surprised to discover a prayer was said at the start of council meetings, describing the practice as "old-fashioned".

All other councillors support saying either the prayer or an aspirational statement.

At the last council meeting in May, councillors voted to retain the prayer.

The commission held mediation between the council and the complainant in Wanganui last week but this failed to reach a resolution. The council is due to meet tomorrow and the agenda has been distributed with the prayer printed on the front page as usual.

The prayer is not listed as an item for discussion during the meeting.

Wanganui Mayor Annette Main has indicated to councillors that she would like to meet them before the meeting to discuss a possible way forward.

In an email to councillors she said she was concerned about the risks the council faced "both that of legal action against individuals and the perception of our ratepayers that we are wasting not only their money, but our resources and energy on this issue.

"And then there is the media interest, which is increasingly negative."

Councillor Ray Stevens was adamant discussions of the prayer should be in public.

"Everything about this issue is in the public arena already. I think our ratepayers have a right to know what we are discussing."