They have formed a group, as we told you Tuesday, to look at ways of pumping up voter turnout and the possibility of a four-year term.
The Government's change of rules around Māori wards has also seen the local authorities front up and have their say at a select committee.
On that specifically they are bogged down, and they don’t even seem to know it, by something that never had to be as problematic as it has turned out to be.
The old rule was if councils decided to introduce Māori seats or wards, the locals who hadn't been consulted got to run a vote if they got 5% of the ratepayers backing one.
When they did hold the vote, it was a landslide win telling the councils Māori wards weren't wanted.
Labour changed that rule without consultation. You weren't allowed to vote anymore. Councils could do whatever they wanted with no checks and balances.
This Government wants to flip the law.
Mistake number one as argued this week, is that it's central Government overreach. They forget they are the same councils who cry poor to Government's over everything from infrastructure to storm damage to GST collection. You can't have it both ways with central for the money and local for the power.
The second mistake is that the answer has been in front of them all along. It's called democracy.
Before they started gerrymandering the system anyone could stand, and still can. If they got enough votes they were elected.
Because not many Māori stood some bright spark argued race-based policy was an answer. Stack the rules, Māori get a different deal and it's been downhill ever since.
When the rule is that anyone can stand, there are no barriers and you have no problems. The freedom to stand, the freedom to debate and the freedom to contest the vote is a good, clean, clear system and, most importantly, a level playing field. It's fair.
When you mess with it you strike trouble and here, we are years later trying to untie the mess that race-based bias creates.
Keep it simple. Listen to the people. Value democracy.
You might find more people actually turn up to vote.
Mike Hosking is a New Zealand television and radio broadcaster. He currently hosts The Mike Hosking Breakfast show on NewstalkZB on weekday mornings - where this article was sourced.
The old rule was if councils decided to introduce Māori seats or wards, the locals who hadn't been consulted got to run a vote if they got 5% of the ratepayers backing one.
When they did hold the vote, it was a landslide win telling the councils Māori wards weren't wanted.
Labour changed that rule without consultation. You weren't allowed to vote anymore. Councils could do whatever they wanted with no checks and balances.
This Government wants to flip the law.
Mistake number one as argued this week, is that it's central Government overreach. They forget they are the same councils who cry poor to Government's over everything from infrastructure to storm damage to GST collection. You can't have it both ways with central for the money and local for the power.
The second mistake is that the answer has been in front of them all along. It's called democracy.
Before they started gerrymandering the system anyone could stand, and still can. If they got enough votes they were elected.
Because not many Māori stood some bright spark argued race-based policy was an answer. Stack the rules, Māori get a different deal and it's been downhill ever since.
When the rule is that anyone can stand, there are no barriers and you have no problems. The freedom to stand, the freedom to debate and the freedom to contest the vote is a good, clean, clear system and, most importantly, a level playing field. It's fair.
When you mess with it you strike trouble and here, we are years later trying to untie the mess that race-based bias creates.
Keep it simple. Listen to the people. Value democracy.
You might find more people actually turn up to vote.
Mike Hosking is a New Zealand television and radio broadcaster. He currently hosts The Mike Hosking Breakfast show on NewstalkZB on weekday mornings - where this article was sourced.
3 comments:
Councils do not seek a residents mandate. They make the decision, then they go through the charade of asking for submissions, and then they proceed as previously decided
Individually Councilors state their view and vote the opposite at vote time
50 Councils made a submission to Government opposing the Maori Ward issue. I doubt any asked their residents their view first. I know mine didn't
Mike I would like to add some value to your piece, but I can't. You are spot on as usual.
If I could add something tho, it would be to list publicly and name and shame these woke tossers and the racist policies they have introduced so the good people who actually believe in democracy can hold these toxic people to account.
Mike you hold a bit of weight mate, can we collate all your bad lefties and publish them on a site? We could also add links to your interviews with these terrible people and the damage they cause.
Local councils are undemocratic & have no mandate to do anything. The council members are unqualified & unskilled (albeit most well-meaning) members of the community. That’s why no one votes for them.
It is time the councils were stripped of all funding & responsibility, except that which pertains to local facilities, shopping areas & parks.
Infrastructure, including cycleways, water & street signs etc should be centralised because 1) the councils can’t afford to it without govt funding anyway & 2) they mismanage the funding they do have.
Look at Wellington & many of the councils around the country who are committing economic terrorism with impunity by choosing cycleways & Maori street names & art work over actual needs.
Do this & we cut the entitlement, waste & stop paying council CEOs, far too much money to do SFA - not to mention the comms staff!
If our councils were private businesses they’d have gone into liquidation.
As ratespayers, we literally cannot actually afford to have the councils continue on as they are anymore. We’re all facing massive rates hikes because of what is essentially fraud -using our money for things we did not ask for.
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