New Zealand councillor Jo Galer left colleagues stunned after joining a live Dunedin City Council meeting from what appeared to be her bathroom, with her washing visible behind her, before shrugging off the mayor’s suggestion to move her camera and continuing with her speech on council spending.
A New Zealand councillor has been caught joining a livestreamed council meeting from her bathroom, with her underwear visible drying in the background. Footage of the moment shows Dunedin City Councillor Jo Galer appearing on screen during a Monday morning meeting of Dunedin City Council, prompting visible surprise among her remote colleagues. Mayor Sophie Barker gently suggested Galer reposition her camera, but the councillor brushed off the comment and carried on with her contribution to the meeting.
How the moment unfolded
At the start of the meeting, Mayor Barker announced that two councillors would be attending online. When Galer’s video feed appeared showing her in what looked to be a bathroom, one attendee reportedly let out an audible, taken-aback chuckle.
Assuming Galer had made an innocent mistake about her surroundings, Mayor Barker stepped in to help, telling her: “You might want to move your camera.” Galer responded with apparent confusion: “Why where is it?” When Mayor Barker clarified, “We can see your washing,” Galer replied: “Umm ok… can you see me?”
After Mayor Barker confirmed they could indeed see her, adding that she was “only suggesting,” Galer shrugged off the exchange entirely, saying: “That’s great. You can see my washing, you can see me. That is no problem.” She then moved directly into her prepared remarks on local government reform, focusing on what she described as “frivolous” council spending and potential savings for ratepayers.
A shadow behind the glass
As Galer continued speaking about possible cost savings, a dark shadow reportedly appeared behind a frosted glass door in the background, potentially a shower door or the entrance to another room. At one point, a hand could apparently be seen reaching toward the frosted barrier before quickly being pulled back, as though the person behind it had realised they were at risk of appearing on camera during the live council session.
Not the only disruption that day
Galer’s bathroom appearance was not the sole moment of disorder during the meeting. Earlier in proceedings, before Galer had even joined the call, a separate councillor was removed from the meeting for disorderly conduct.
Reaction and wider context
Dunedin City Council meetings are livestreamed and later uploaded to the council’s official YouTube channel, meaning members of the public can watch proceedings either live or on demand. The footage of Galer’s appearance has since attracted nearly 2,000 views on YouTube and sparked widespread discussion online, with many commentators joking about the importance of checking camera angles and backgrounds before joining video calls.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, many councils in New Zealand and elsewhere have continued to allow elected members to attend meetings remotely under certain circumstances, though authorities generally encourage participants to ensure their surroundings are suitable for public broadcast. The incident has reignited broader debate over appropriate video-conferencing etiquette for elected officials taking part in publicly accessible meetings.
Despite the unusual start, Galer remained on the call throughout and continued contributing to the council’s business without any technical interruption.
