Councillor does flip-flop on anthem apology

A controversial New Plymouth councillor, who said he was "ashamed" to sing the national anthem in te reo Maori, is refusing to make a face-to-face apology to his council colleagues. Murray Chong was a no-show at the first meeting of the year yesterday, after earlier promising to apologise for his comments in person. He says he'd already made a formal apology, that was approved by the Mayor Neil Holdom.