Christchurch Mayor Lianne Daziel has vehemently rejected an allegation she was part of efforts to censor and blacklist a prominent academic at the request of Chinese Community Party (CCP) officials. In her submission, Brady alleged that in 2015 Chinese government officials put pressure on the University of Canterbury, Antarctica New Zealand, Dalziel, and New Zealand diplomats in China regarding her unpublished research on China and Antarctica. In her letter, Dalziel said the allegation would “seriously damage my reputation in a way that inflicts harm”. In a 2015 email addressed to the Mayor, Brady said she had been told at a meeting she “was being banned from participating in any official events related to China and or Antarctica...”. Dalziel defeated businessman Darryll Park and political activist John Minto to win her third term as mayor last October.

Source: Stuff July 10, 2020 16:52 UTC