The online arguing has made Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher "cringe", and prompted him to declare the spat was "hindering" the debate over the hospital's future. As he was a contractor, he was not bound by the company's strict social media policy, he claimed. Mr Bruce said he would soon step down from the role. "I have to say I don't follow social media, and I purposely don't follow it. "I just cringe at so many of the comments that are coming from a number of people on the hospital issue.

Source: Otago Daily Times May 24, 2019 16:32 UTC