Democracy, as Winston Churchill may or may not have once said, is the worst form of government - apart from the all the other types that have been tried from time to time.
The modern English word is derived from two Greek words: demos meaning people and kratos which is rule. In other words it is the rule of the people by the people. The people ELECT those whom they wish to represent them.
The concept is pretty well known in this country. Everybody in our parliament, our House of Representatives, is elected. It’s not as pure as it was in the old days before MMP but every MP is still there as a consequence of the people voting.
The preceding three paragraphs would stand up very well as the opening comments by a teacher to a high school Civics class.
New Zealand, as the world’s first full democracy after introducing universal suffrage in 1893, now has one of the most devolved democratic systems in the world where we can vote for MPs, councilors, community board members and in some places even licensing trusts.
But deep in the Local Government Act 2002 are these rather chilling words: The members of a committee or subcommittee may, but need not be, elected members of the local authority, and a local authority or committee may appoint to a committee or subcommittee a person who is not a member of the local authority or committee if, in the opinion of the local authority, that person has the skills, attributes, or knowledge that will assist the work of the committee or subcommittee.
All of which is fine if the appointed person to a committee or sub-committee is just passing on the “skills, attributes or knowledge” to assist the work of the committee.
Because the Local Government Act also says: The purpose of local government is to enable democratic local decision-making and action by, and on behalf of, communities.
See the key word there – democratic. That is rule by the people, the representatives elected by the people.
But somehow in the Local Government Act, councils have the right to allow appointed committee members to have voting rights. How did that happen? What bunch of numpty MPs thought it was a good idea to allow appointed cronies to vote at local government level?
(Hint: in 2002 Helen Clark’s Labour government was in power)
All of which is a long winded preamble to the decision by the Hastings District Council to appoint the seventeen members of the Hastings Youth Council to District Council committees and give them the right to vote on those committees.
As with Select Committees at parliament, much of the real decision making at local council level is made at the committee level. The decision of the committees is often brought back to the full council for final approval, for the rubber stamp if you like.
Therefore the Hastings District Council has given 17 unelected young people aged from 15 to 21 the ability to vote on council decisions. Some of them are not even old enough to vote in the actual elections for district councillors!
Frankly, the Local Government Act needs to be amended – and fast - to remove the ability of appointed people to have voting rights on council committees.
Even having co-opted committee members is a step too far. At parliament, Select Committees comprise only MPs. If they want expert advice they get it through the submission process or from officials or other experts in the field. Why can’t the same process apply at local government level?
In some instances the whole appointment process to a local authority is over the top. The Canterbury Regional Council (ECan) has two full members appointed by Ngai Tahu. The iwi therefore have voting rights over water allocation in a region where Ngai Tahu are one of the largest operators of dairy farms.
The National-Act Coalition agreement is to repeal the Ngai Tahu Representation Bill although the process has hit a snag with ECan’s refusal to play ball. The government will have to play hard ball here to restore full democratic process to Ecan.
At the Auckland Council members of the appointed Maori Statutory Board have voting rights on council committees. In other words they have significant influence as non-elected council committee members.
Most local councils appear to operate the same way as Auckland when it comes to Maori input into committee decision making. But allowing non-elected committee members to vote is the first erosion of democratic principles.
Simeon Brown, as the Minister for Local Government, needs to ensure the thin end of the wedge into local democracy is not inserted further.
Already this year we’ve had Anne Tolley, the former Chair of the Commissioners at Tauranga City , suggesting a hybrid model of appointed and elected councillors would be the most effective way of governing a city. The idea is preposterous.
But the concept of appointees is slowly gaining more and more ground at local authorities all around the country.
This government has to remember two things:
The preceding three paragraphs would stand up very well as the opening comments by a teacher to a high school Civics class.
New Zealand, as the world’s first full democracy after introducing universal suffrage in 1893, now has one of the most devolved democratic systems in the world where we can vote for MPs, councilors, community board members and in some places even licensing trusts.
But deep in the Local Government Act 2002 are these rather chilling words: The members of a committee or subcommittee may, but need not be, elected members of the local authority, and a local authority or committee may appoint to a committee or subcommittee a person who is not a member of the local authority or committee if, in the opinion of the local authority, that person has the skills, attributes, or knowledge that will assist the work of the committee or subcommittee.
All of which is fine if the appointed person to a committee or sub-committee is just passing on the “skills, attributes or knowledge” to assist the work of the committee.
Because the Local Government Act also says: The purpose of local government is to enable democratic local decision-making and action by, and on behalf of, communities.
See the key word there – democratic. That is rule by the people, the representatives elected by the people.
But somehow in the Local Government Act, councils have the right to allow appointed committee members to have voting rights. How did that happen? What bunch of numpty MPs thought it was a good idea to allow appointed cronies to vote at local government level?
(Hint: in 2002 Helen Clark’s Labour government was in power)
All of which is a long winded preamble to the decision by the Hastings District Council to appoint the seventeen members of the Hastings Youth Council to District Council committees and give them the right to vote on those committees.
As with Select Committees at parliament, much of the real decision making at local council level is made at the committee level. The decision of the committees is often brought back to the full council for final approval, for the rubber stamp if you like.
Therefore the Hastings District Council has given 17 unelected young people aged from 15 to 21 the ability to vote on council decisions. Some of them are not even old enough to vote in the actual elections for district councillors!
Frankly, the Local Government Act needs to be amended – and fast - to remove the ability of appointed people to have voting rights on council committees.
Even having co-opted committee members is a step too far. At parliament, Select Committees comprise only MPs. If they want expert advice they get it through the submission process or from officials or other experts in the field. Why can’t the same process apply at local government level?
In some instances the whole appointment process to a local authority is over the top. The Canterbury Regional Council (ECan) has two full members appointed by Ngai Tahu. The iwi therefore have voting rights over water allocation in a region where Ngai Tahu are one of the largest operators of dairy farms.
The National-Act Coalition agreement is to repeal the Ngai Tahu Representation Bill although the process has hit a snag with ECan’s refusal to play ball. The government will have to play hard ball here to restore full democratic process to Ecan.
At the Auckland Council members of the appointed Maori Statutory Board have voting rights on council committees. In other words they have significant influence as non-elected council committee members.
Most local councils appear to operate the same way as Auckland when it comes to Maori input into committee decision making. But allowing non-elected committee members to vote is the first erosion of democratic principles.
Simeon Brown, as the Minister for Local Government, needs to ensure the thin end of the wedge into local democracy is not inserted further.
Already this year we’ve had Anne Tolley, the former Chair of the Commissioners at Tauranga City , suggesting a hybrid model of appointed and elected councillors would be the most effective way of governing a city. The idea is preposterous.
But the concept of appointees is slowly gaining more and more ground at local authorities all around the country.
This government has to remember two things:
(a) Parliament is the supreme law maker in the country and
(b) even without a scientific opinion poll on the matter, it’s certain a vast majority of New Zealanders want the concept of democracy to be first and foremost in all the governing processes of this country.
That’s why the Hastings District decision is stupid. Not only does it give decision-making and voting rights to inexperienced and unworldly young people, it allows for the appointment of like-minded fellow political travellers by those in authority at Hastings District.
That is taking away the rule of the people.
It must be stopped.
Peter Williams was a writer and broadcaster for half a century. Now watching from the sidelines. Peter blogs regularly on Peter’s Substack - where this article was sourced.
13 comments:
Nice post, Peter! It’s crucial to uphold the democratic process and ensure our representatives truly reflect the people's choices.
Thanks for digging that clause out .
It gets to the nub of the issue and that clause along with others in the LGA that allow councils to ‘do anything’ need to be changed today.
Same in Wellington. Unelected IWI will be voting whether or not to sell WCC shares in Wellington airport.
When is democracy not democracy? When it is in New Zealand! There is so much that needs to be put to rights small wonder we are all stuffed up.
Who will have the last laugh? PM Luxon of course!
Most Mayors have voted to retain Māori wards. Mayors scoffed at the PM when he told them to do the basics and don’t do the fluffy stuff. Wellingtons Mayor publicly asked how much is the fine if they don’t have a referendum on Māori wards! Who are the numbskulls advising this dipstick!
The Coalition Government has shown its willingness to introduce legislation to correct perceived wrongs. The Local Government Act must be near the top of the list!
Seventeen is a staggering number. The Auckland Council Maori Statutory Body numbers less. Personally it is only in advanced retirement that I coansider i have sufficent time, experience and judgement to express clear views. As a teenager (and long after) and despite success as a student, I was hopelessly immature. My concern is that the youth will be captured. I can see the maori machine with its many time available propogandists working overtime in the insurgency coordination centres (marae) to acheive dominant representation.
I recently heard a Maori commentator on the topic of Maori appointed Wards say something like: “…it is democratic, just a different kind.” No it’s not! Appointed race based members to local councils is exactly the opposite of democracy. Some people are deluded! A banana cake is not a type of chocolate cake…it’s a banana cake!
As individual citizens, as voters and taxpayers we have been so deeply, so consistently, so relentlessly indoctrinated, so blindly radicalized, and so thoroughly and easily subjugated and ideologically manipulated that, by now, it has become terribly challenging for any of us to even entertain any viewpoint or any opinion that is opposed to our own.
Most human collectives are controlled by the illusion of choice, the idea of self-determination and the promise of personal agency. The notion that everyone’s voice is heard in the ballot box and the fantasy of “Vox Populi, Vox Dei”, despite being completely devoid of any meaning, have managed to sustain Western democracies for centuries. The public’s blind faith that “the system works”, that each vote counts as much as the next and that everyone has the same power to influence an election outcome might sound outrageously naive to the rational, clear-eyed observer, but it is this sheer wishful thinking that underpins and supports almost every western nation.
Democracy, the greatest show on earth.
Does the LGA actually say that appointed members do have voting rights or have Councils decided ,because it doesn't specifically say they haven't, decided on their own volition, that voting rights can be granted to all committee members, both elected and non-elected. As these decisions haven't been challenged, has it become the norm?.
To Robert Authur:
Too late - many are already captured. 30-40 years of the Te Ao vision under the radar and now in plain sight. Auckland Uni. now intending to install a compulsory course on the Te Ao world in Year 1.....( unless stopped by Ministers Stanford/Simmonds) . These are the voters in 20026, 2029 and till 2040.... = He Puapua assured.
Is it time to bend over and kiss my derrière goodbye?
Anonymous @ 9:39pm
A favourite author of mine used the expression "BOHICA"
or Bend over, here it comes again.
How often could we use that expression? so many times since 2017. The Hastings council have learnt to ignore all ratepayers.
Hopefully central govt. will bring pressure to bear on them to stop this crap from being adopted everywhere.
This is what happens when voters lose control of the process formerly known as democracy. I say formerly because local body democracy in this country died years ago, not through any insidious right or left wing infiltration of the institutions, but by the apathy, or more correctly, the stupidity, of local body electors who can’t be bothered voting.
The turnout at local body elections is remorselessly dropping and fell to 45.6% in 2022, and that was only the national average. In Metro areas it dropped to 40.8% with the wooden spoon going to Hamilton with 29.4%. Auckland City, the largest local authority, turnout was a disgraceful 35.5%.
So, on average 55% of electors nationwide, and 65% of Aucklanders, simply don’t care who runs their towns and cities. That’s not democracy. That’s minority rule. But it seems to me that, since the self-disenfranchised 55% consider that to be just fine, they then forfeit any right to complain when they don’t agree with the outcomes. They only have themselves to blame when at best, the rates go up 20%, or at worst, splinter groups game the system.
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