I have worked as a farmer including owning my own farm, a helicopter pilot and an earth moving contractor. When the rescue helicopter became full time, I was the pilot for the first 4 years. I then worked for a construction company on roading contracts until I retired. I am 66 and with a reasonable amount of a varied experience including several years overseas, I think I can contribute to the running of council.

I have been concerned by excessive rates and ever growing council.

I would like to see the council become much smaller and all services except core ones made voluntary so that people have the choice to use them or not. No one should be forced to pay for what they do not want, do not need and do not use.

 

Top 5 Issues

1. Decline in home ownership.
   The most important thing for us is food and shelter.
   Every regulation and cost that impedes the building of homes means that less people can afford their own home because it pushes up the price of all housing. We need to reverse this.
   
2. Force and theft.
   I find it abhorrent that the council can force people to pay for things that they do not want and if they do not pay they can have their home taken. We will not have a civilised or just society run by force and theft.
   
3. Transparency.
   We all need to know what is happening and why.
   
4. Accountability.
   Too many things going wrong and over budget.
   
5. Core role of council.
   Far too much spent on unnecessary things, while essential things, such as the Waitara sewage pipe have not been done.
   

Personal Profile

I am 66 and retired which will give me the time to put the necessary effort into this job if elected, as I consider it a serious one. Spending other people’s money is not something to be taken lightly.

 I enjoy reading, including history, economics, education and some philosophy.

My leisure time activities include hunting, fishing and motor sport.

I have been on the committee of Sporting trials Taranaki for a few years and am currently president.

I have learnt much from life’s experiences, some good and some not so good.

In my years in search and rescue I was involved in many happy out comes and some tragic ones.

I have seen how other people live, having lived and worked in Australia, Papua New Guinea, Burma and in various areas of both Islands of New Zealand.

I am a strong believer in the freedom of the individual.

If elected I would only be one person in the team. I would hope that there would be other like minded people also elected so that we could move the council towards being much smaller and responsible to the people. I would like to see the council being the servant of the people, rather than telling them how to live their lives and what they can do or not on their own property.

I am opposed to the council being involved in sports, as this means most of us paying for our own activities are also subsidising some others.