Benedict Ong

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Benedict Alvin Ong is a New Zealand local government politician in Dunedin, New Zealand. He is a councillor of the Dunedin City Council, in his first term. He has gained significant media attention following his censure by the council. The city council voted 10–2 on 26 March 2026 to request Ong resign, which he rejected. During the meeting, Ong chose to read from Franz Kafka's novel The Trial instead of defending himself. In 2026, Ong was subsequently found to have breached the Council's code of conduct in two further incidents; namely leaking information about the planned construction of a new hotel and posting social media remarks attacking the Council's chief executive. In September 2026, he was also trespassed from the University of Otago for "inappropriate behaviour." Ong also contested the 2026 New Zealand general election as an independent candidate and also announced plans to resign from the City Council regardless of that election's outcome.

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