Dunedin Mayor should have paid for them himself

The ODT reports:

Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull says he has ”no regrets” about stepping in to buy leg irons destined for auction, despite new evidence they were used to hold camels, not Maori prisoners as had been believed.

However, the conclusion by Toitu Otago Settlers Museum staff has prompted Mr Cull to call on the seller – Dunedin man Steve McCormack – to ”examine his moral position”.

The council spent $3900 on the shackles in March, preventing them being sold on the open market, and Mr McCormack should now consider refunding ratepayers’ money, Mr Cull said.

On the contrary, Mr Cull should refund the ratepayers. He is the one who purchased a pair of camel shackles. And he isn’t even sorry for it.

The comments came after plans to sell the leg irons at Hayward’s Auction House were revealed in March, prompting concerns an important piece of history could be lost.

Maybe one should leave bidding for historic items to trained historians and curators, not Mayors.