Review of last year’s Local Body election: There is a Parliamentary enquiry into the last Local Body election. We encourage people to read this document and to make a submission before the end of February - even a short submission is good. Very few people know about … [Read more...]
Are we witnessing the fact that the next Mayoral campaign is on:
I guess, because I participated in Mayoral debates for too many years, my political nose twitches very quickly. In the Press “Letters to the Editor” yesterday there was this letter. Under the headline “Explanation needed” it said: “Congratulations to John Minto for the work he has done … [Read more...]
We can do better: Inspiring, engaging and encouraging local voting
An Open Letter calling for an Electoral Forum To: Dawn Baxendale, CEO Christchurch City Council Bill Bayfield, CEO Environment Canterbury David Meates, CEO Canterbury District Health Board We can do better: Inspiring, engaging and encouraging local voting I am writing with … [Read more...]
Rosemary writes…
Rosemary Neave on duty this week while Garry is away. A focus on local elections - some musings and Jean Drage into share her wisdom. A couple of things I noticed (apart from my comments elsewhere): Beautiful people seem more likely to be elected the 150 words are important - but probably not … [Read more...]
This weeks speaker: Jean Drage
Jean is going to share some thoughts on the recent elections. You may have seen her articles in Stuff recently (links below). Since moving to Christchurch more than a decade ago, Jean Drage has worked for both Canterbury and Lincoln Universities and the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority. … [Read more...]
Is The People’s Choice Labour by any other name?
Christchurch 2021 (the Precursor of The People's Choice) Isn't the internet a marvel, a website still exists for Christchurch 2021 which was formed in 1995. I have spoken to people who were members of Christchurch 2021 and they say that it was formed deliberately to get the best progressive … [Read more...]
Do we Really Support Democratic Representation?
Are we truly committed to democratic representation around the Council table? Many seem to want more of ‘their’ people around that table. Is this the same as representation? Concerns about water quality and the environment were obvious in ECan voting in this election, mostly in … [Read more...]
Should we be worried about the change in Wellington’s Mayor?
I am slightly worried about the result in the election of Wellington’s Mayor. I don’t know either of the two key candidates. They both seem pretty decent guys. However, the key issue I was left wondering about was the presence of money from Peter Jackson entering the campaign. I know nothing at all … [Read more...]
During the election campaign one Mayoral Candidate really worried me
I sat as an MC at a candidate meeting in Edgeware and wondered if one of the candidates had fallen off this planet. He was a climate change denier. He thrust some documents at me which proved that he was correct. I worry about Climate Change deniers. How can they say that 95% of the world’s … [Read more...]
Get Out and VOTE
It’s a real worry that the voting pattern right around New Zealand is bad for the Local Government elections. If we look at Christchurch by this time in 2010 the percentage was 21.94%; in 2013 it was 24.21%; in 2016 it was 21.18%; and this year it is 17.58%. These numbers should cause our … [Read more...]