D’Oyley Carte would have applauded a highly articulate ratepayer’s rendition
(KCDC Environment and Community Development Committee meeting of 14
April) of Councillor Michael Scott’s now public domain ‘Hi Sue’ letter.
Dismissed by Councillor Scott (Michael) as a ‘Mikadoesque performance’,
this rendition, in my view, showcased the puffery and sarcasm implicit in
this Councillor’s penmanship — traits too often obvious in his behaviour
within the Council Chamber to certain of his elected colleagues.
Rather than address the points raised, Councillor Scott (M) launched, by way
of deflection, into an interrogation of the ratepayer — whose speaking time
it was.
Councillor Gaylor — who as Chair had taken considerable pains at the outset
of the meeting to remind members of the ratepaying public present of their
responsibility to respect the Council Chamber and elected officers — made no
attempt to check her colleague’s behaviour, resorting quickly instead to
the edict ‘both parties have gone into debate’.
In his lacklustre ‘Dear Blanche’ response of 5 May to an articulate letter
that highlighted the very real need for an alternative access/egress across
the rail corridor to Waikanae East, Councillor Scott (M) rapidly
dissociated himself from the current lack of priority attributed to an
underpass solution (despite his elected roles on both KCDC and the Waikanae
Community Board), plus had the temerity to end with the admonishment ‘a less
aggressive presentation would be appreciated in the future’.
Mayor Church, who is routinely quick to sanction any ratepayer behaviour
that is perceived as inappropriate, is strangely silent in terms of
Councillor Scott’s (M) behaviour.
Come October, the ratepaying public will have opportunity to apply their
own sanctions.
Margaret Stevenson-Wright
Rate payer, Waikanae
I suggest that a significant problem is the poor reporting by the local press in regard to council antics, and the attitude of Councillors. It is quite hopeless trying to discern anything from the ‘streaming footage’ of council meetings, because the coverage remains hopeless, and sound seems to go mute at crucial places. Certain matters are also recorded in minutes in a biased manner,
Last elections the coverage of candidates was sparse and there were few meetings. Most therefore rely on nothing more than a blurb on a pamphlet. On that basis I think I even voted for Gavin Welsh because he was British ex-army and I assumed this implied he was a ‘man of honour’. Wrong on both points … in my opinion. Also thought that Ross Church seemed like a decent chap. How stooopid is that?
Ross Church and ‘Guru’ Gurunathan both out-polled then mayor Rowan in the last election, pushing her into third place, because of her support for the water meters. Ross Church has since changed his stance to endorse them — say one thing to get elected and then… But as Margaret Stevenson-Wright says, the opportunity to sanction him for that is 5 months away.
Unfortunately, a lack of investigative journalism by the two main Kapiti papers is a general problem; one of the reasons we started this blog.
I guess the Councillor for the Waikanae ward will only hold the office for a few more months.