'I misjudged badly' - Hamilton City Councillor resigns from local committee after sending woman link to sexually offensive video

November 24, 2017

Mother-of-three Angela Cuming took to Twitter to express her outrage at a lewd joke sent to her by Hamilton City Councillor Mark Bunting.

A Hamilton City Councillor has resigned from a local committee after a complaints meeting today found he breached the Council's Code of Conduct by sending a religiously and sexually offensive video link to a Hamilton woman.

A statement released by Hamilton City Council this afternoon says that Mark Bunting had his offer to resign from his position as Deputy Chair of the Community and Services Committee accepted.

The conduct breach came when Mr Bunting sent a video link to mother of three Angela Cuming on Facebook in response to her messaging him attempting to stop the council putting a freeze on new playgrounds in Hamilton for the next decade.

The video contained a crass, sexually explicit message in reference to her last name. Horrified, Ms Cuming outed him on social media.

"I thought, you know, call him out," she told TVNZ 1's Seven Sharp programme.

"I'm just someone who wants to hold men to account and in particular people like Councillor Bunting because he's a man in a position of power and authority."

Mr Bunting apologised after the complaints meeting today saying: "Recently I privately shared a Newshub video with an acquaintance in an attempt to make her laugh.

"In doing so I misjudged how offensive it would be to her and as a result how hurtful it could be to women, Christians and the general public. I misjudged badly and apologise unreservedly."

Mr Bunting will continue on in his role as a Hamilton City Councillor and says he is extremely motivated to win back the trust of the Hamilton public.

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