Bill Dalton

The Labour Government’s new Minister of Health is obviously someone who likes to be the life and soul of the party.

But his sabre rattling and posturing prove to me – that not only is he arrogant and ignorant – he is also totally politically naïve.

I would have thought it was obvious, that if Labour wanted to regain the Treasury benches in November, they would need to win back some of the previously “Safe Labour Seats” they lost in 2005.

Perhaps Russell Fairbrother and Rick Barker should be reminding this fellow Cunliffe that two of those seats are right here in Hawkes Bay.

If Cunliffe sacks our democratically elected members of the Hawkes Bay District Health Board, then I have a very clear message for Messrs Fairbrother and Barker.  Start looking for jobs.  Don’t even bother standing in November.  Save your money.  Cunliffe has lost the race for you.

Frankly I find the bully boy tactics of Cunliffe to be abhorrent.  Where does it leave the DHB members – especially the new members of the DHB who have only just got their tootsies under the table.  I would imagine these poor sods have spent 3 -4 or 5 thousand dollars on a campaign which has resulted in their being elected to the DHB.  Now, before they have even recovered their investment this Minister, eager to see his name in the headlines, is threatening to sack them.  Surely they will have some legal redress if that turns out to be the case.

The Labour Government has increased spending on health significantly during their 3 terms.  The problem is, as is so often the case with Labour, the funds have been poorly directed.  They have totally forgotten that they are meant to be playing “Doctors and Nurses”, not “Build the Empire”.

Our health system is now totally overburdened with a whole variety of non-medical personnel and the medical and surgical service to us, the poor taxpayer, is simply getting worse.

So Mr Cunliffe – sack our District Health Board at your peril.

Just remember that after November you may be joining Rick Barker and Russell Fairbrother in the job line.

A well meaning ratepayer approached me earlier in the week and suggested that Napier was run by a dictator – that Mayor Arnott called all the shots and that her councillors were just pussies – they simply rubber stamped the Mayor’s decisions. 

I don’t believe that is a widely held view but just in case there is that sort of perception out there, let me put the matter straight. 

Mayor Barbara Arnott is now in her third term and naturally is now very confident in her role.  But to suggest she is a dictator is an insult to all councillors.  I can’t speak for the nine councillors who were returned to council in October although I would not like to be the one that tells Mark Herbert he is a pussy. 

But I can speak on behalf of the three new councillors, Keith Price, Maxine Boag and myself.  Let me assure you we are not just there to make up the numbers – nor are we there to sycophantically agree with all of the Mayor’s views. 

The reason the three new councillors have been “low profile” is because we have been head down and bum up learning the ropes.  I don’t think that ratepayers would expect or want new councillors to arrive in the Council Chamber, firing shots in all directions, without a good grounding in the undertakings of the council. 

I can tell you I am amazed at the complexity of the Napier City Council as a business and most impressed with the officers who run that business on a day to day basis. 

For councillors to be effective they need to understand how the council works and that doesn’t happen in five minutes. 

The one thing that is taking me time to come to grips with is the time it takes for things to happen.  In my first couple of months I felt like saying – “for Gods sake, lets get on with it.”  But of course it can’t be like that.  There are procedures that must be followed, Laws that need to be adhered to and of course ratepayers who have to be answered to.  So the decision making process is inevitably slow. 

That of course does not mean, in any way, that anyone, councillors included, is not doing their job.  It is simply the way it has to be. 

So let me assure you that the Napier City Council is not a one woman band.  It is a team of people – officers and councillors alike – who are doing their best for the city.

Recently I sat and watched the NZ cricket team demolish the English cricket team in a rain shortened one dayer. And I loved it.

I loved it for a variety of reasons – but most of all because it was a real two finger salute to that egotistical pillock Adam Parore.

One of the stars was Jesse Ryder. When Jesse was selected, Parore said that he was too fat to play top class cricket. Parore said there was no room at the top for a fat man. Well – on behalf of all fat men – and Jesse Ryder hardly qualifies – I’ve got news for Mr Loudmouth Parore. A few extra pounds will not stop a talented fellow like Jesse Ryder performing at the top level.

Why do the media go to people like Parore for comment. Sure he had some cricket talent but what has he done since. Perhaps his greatest achievement is his ability to sell pictures of his family to some womens’ gossip magazine.

Anyway- enough about Parore – he is of no consequence – the win was fantastic for New Zealand cricket and will be a great confidence booster for the team. Make sure you are at the game in Napier.

Parliament opened last week with the usual rubbish dished up in the house. Helen Clark claimed that there was no quick fix to New Zealand’s problems – an amazing statement considering she has been in power for 8 years.

John Key pointed out to her that fact and her trusty – “I’m not part of the Government” – Lieutenant Winston Peters got up and – well actually I’m not sure what he said. As usual he talked in riddles.

The usual election year jockeying for position is going on. The Greens are sending out old Nachos to pasture so they can bring in their deputy leader to gain publicity before the election.

NZ First has clearly done a deal with the government and Donnelly is off to Rarotonga to bask in the sun. That allows them to add some firepower in terms of Dail Jones.

Don’t you think all this makes an absolute mockery of democracy. We elect one bunch and then they decide who is really going to represent us.

I am still waiting to hear from any party that is prepared to hold a binding referendum on MMP.

They’ll get my vote.