Mayor:

A wise person once said that you should not be in politics unless you love democracy more than power. 

Power is using one's position to control others. 

It's withholding significant information you have a right to know. 

It's lavishly spending rates you have no option to pay, whether directly through rates or indirectly as rent. 

Democracy on the other hand is sharing information, acting with integrity and treating everybody with respect. 

So this election is all about you. 

You deserve a mayor you can trust to tell it like it is, who will listen to you and who is prepared to sort out the tough challenges. 

Over the past six years, I've proved where my loyalty lies. 

I am prepared to work full−time over the next three years to provide you with leadership you can trust. 

This election you can make a difference − and all it takes is a tick.

 

Councillor:

Although I am contesting the mayoralty, I am also seeking your vote to remain on council as the Kere Kere ward councillor. 

Councils provide services most people take for granted − roading, water and rubbish collection. 

But councils also have a responsibility to look after the well−being of the local people and our environment. 

The decisions the council makes during the next term of office will have a significant impact on Foxton's future development. 

It is all too easy to spend ratepayers' money on flash new buildings, swimming pools and subdivisions. But a councillor that truly cares about the community will want to make sure that each project is viable, so that it won't become a burden on the ratepayer in years to come. 

We cannot afford to squander scarce resources. 

The people you elect onto council must be candidates you can trust to lead your community to a brighter future.

Top 5 Issues

1. Lake Horowhenua- a recent public meeting attended by several hundred people has sent a clear message to key stakeholders that the restoration of the lake to its natural unpolluted state is a top priority, and the time for blaming the Maori people for inaction is over.
2. Declining population - Statistics NZ predicts that by 2026 Horowhenua's population will decline by 1200. This downward trend will have a significant impact on the services and facilities our communities can offer.
3. The District Plan review - this must take into consideration the impact of the proposed changes to roads of national significance, and the possibility that State Highway One may in future by-pass Levin's CBD.
4. Core services - the council can no longer defer upgrades to its water and sewage systems if it is meet its obligation to ensures its core services are environmentally sustainable. Business attraction and retention is dependent upon providing adequate infrastructure.
5. Rates - the decision to phase out differentials for general rates has created an imbalance that fails to reflect property values. This needs to be addressed before our smaller townships start demanding the same standard of facilities enjoyed by those in the urban areas of our district.

Personal Profile

 

For the past six years I have served on the Horowhenua District Council as the Kere Kere ward councillor.

My profession as an author gives me the flexibility to devote as much time as I need to meet my responsibilites as a representative of, and advocate for the community.

My platform is simple:

• I am keen to listen
• I am prepared to tell it like it is
• and I am capable of sorting out the tough challenges.

The recent Lake Horowhenua meeting is a classic example of the way I like to operate. With several hundred people in attendance, there was unanimous support for a proposal to restore the lake to its natural unpolluted state and create a beautiful park for the community to enjoy. This meeting was simply a catalyst - there is much more work ahead of us, but I am up to the challenge.

I welcome the Minister of Local Governments determination to ensure councils are:

• more transparent
• accountable and
• financially responsible

Under the LGA, a council must conduct its business in an open, transparent and democratically accountable manner.

The LGOIMA is based on the principle of availability; in other words information should be made available unless there is good reason for withholding it.

Therefore I find it frustrating when so many important proposals are put to us in-committee after the public has been asked to leave, because it means that I am unable to consult with those affected by a decision before that decision is made.

Time and time again, I've proved where my loyalty lies.

Despite provisions for mandatory consultation, democratic accountability ultimately rests with the ballot box.

An election is, after all, the only time residents and ratepayers can make a decision which is binding on the council.