Matt King, political wannabe and ex National MP for Northland clearly has a short memory for things that happen up North. And as an ex Detective, his detection skills are somewhat lacking. (Matt, there’s a thing called Internet search.)
Matt has posted on Facebook:
Nanaia Mahuta’s decision to move the Tauranga elections to 2024 – when the rest of the country holds local body elections this year, is typical of Labour’s heavy-handed approach. It is yet another outrageous breach of democracy. Hard to believe this is the New Zealand we are living in.
Let’s turn the clock back to the last time commissioners were appointed to run a local authority: August 2012. Kaipara District Council found themselves in a bit of bother so the Minister for Local Government, David Carter (National) appointed commissioners to run the Council.
Oh dear, it was those evil National anti-democracy politicians creating outrageous breaches.
And that evil Labour Minister had the effrontery to move the election date in Tauranga! Oops, so did the nice kind National minister.
“It is likely the commissioners would be required until 2015. For this reason, the Government proposes to defer the 2013 election for Kaipara District Council until October 2015,” Mr Carter says.
Beehive
Legally, commissioners can only be appointed up to the end of the current triennium, so the Minister for Local Government has to make a decision before the local body election time rolls around.
It seems that with commissioner appointments, one term is not enough to get things sorted out properly. So, before the council elections arrive the minister has to make a call to re-appoint or not.
In Tauranga, fortunately, the minister has reappointed commissioners as some of the ex councillors are still making a nuisance of themselves and they really need to fade away into obscurity.
But back to Matt and what happened 150 km down the road from his home. When it was time to decide to re-appoint or not, the minister decided to extend the commissioners’ time in office.
Not again! More National “outrageous breaches of democracy” showing their “typical heavy-handed approach”.
Get a grip, Matt, get your facts straight and go fight for something that really matters to the country. Tauranga will eventually sort itself out. The commissioners are making progress in a city that has been very badly served by its council for many terms.
Where necessary the Minister for Local Government appoints commissioners when councils fail. Sometimes it is National in power and sometimes it is Labour in power. Get over it.
