Bill Dalton

It’s early Sunday morning and I’ve had a shocking nights sleep. I tossed and turned all night not quite believing what we had done to ourselves.

Firstly we voted to retain MMP and then saw results that proved what an appalling system it is. Too late now folks! Frankly we should have had the results of last nights election debacle and then have asked the question – do you want to retain MMP or not. I am sure the result of the referendum would have been quite different than last nights one.

If ever there was a clear demonstration that MMP is an absurd system it was last night. Apart from the rag tag bunch of one man parties, how the hell can we justify Winston Peters returning to parliament – and worse, he drags 7 of his lightweight mates in with him.

Winston Peters is arguably the most untrustworthy politician ever to sit in our house of representatives. In the first MMP election he campaigned on getting rid of National. He encouraged us to vote for him so he could get rid of the terrible National Government. When it became obvious that this ridiculous system had delivered him the balance of power, Peters, after holding the country to ransom for weeks, did a deal with National which kept them in power. National even created the new role of Treasurer for him which suited Peters perfectly. It was just a posers role and Bill Birch did all the work as Minister of Finance. Eventually National saw through him and Peters was sacked.

Peters subsequently campaigned saying he was “not interested in the baubles of office”. This time he went with Labour who gave him a first class air ticket and told him to stay out of the country as much as possible. They too eventually saw through him and gave him the shove.

Winston Peters could not be trusted then and he can not be trusted now. He is the poster boy for all that is wrong with the MMP system.

Look at the graphic of the House of Representatives in this mornings paper. Does it occur to anyone else that one side of the house looks solid and the other side a shambles? All these little parties with one MP are just nonsense. And like Jim Anderton did for years, they will all be putting their hands out for the party leaders funding which is significant. Leaders of what? In the good old days these people would have been leaders of ginger groups within the main parties.

Being an optimist I need to look for something positive that came out of last night. And it’s easy to find isn’t it. At least Hone didn’t get John Minto and Sue Bradford into Parliament!

So that’s got that off my chest – I can now go and enjoy a magnificent day in the Bay. At one stage last night I was seriously considering moving to Australia – I kid you not!

The 2011 general election is a strange beast – mainly because of the Rugby World Cup which has required a short, sharp campaign. Because the campaign is so short and intense, TV has played a greater part than usual and that means more emphasis has been placed on the leaders. And that’s a worry.

Naturally the leader is important but the leader is just that – a leader. The leader of a team we expect will run the country well and for the benefit of all New Zealanders. The team is every bit as important as the leader and yet we have hardly seen anyone bar the leaders.

When you are considering your party vote, I suggest you undertake this exercise. Write down the top 12/15/20 – how ever many you want – names in order for each party and then decide which team you would prefer to run the country. It will certainly make your decision making easier I’m sure.

Your electorate vote is much easier. Vote for the person you believe will work the hardest for your electorate and has similar views to yours on the future of the electorate.

The electoral system vote is the one that is going to have the most influence on the future of New Zealand and yet it is the vote that is being debated the least. That is disappointing.

MMP has been a disaster for New Zealand and it has the potential to create even greater problems in the future.

Supporters of MMP tell us that it has given us a parliament that is far more representative of New Zealand Society and that may well be true. But New Zealand is not just made up of the clever, the caring, the able, the honest and the honourable. It is also made up of the thick, the uncaring, the unable, the dishonest and the dishonourable – do we want them represented in our parliament?

We don’t need a cross section of society in parliament, we need the team of people who are best qualified to run the country for all New Zealanders.

If ever there was a time in economic history when stability was required it is right now. And yet the media are trying to convince us that MMP may deliver Winston Peters back to parliament. Winston Peters who has proven to be totally untrustworthy and has created instability in his previous stint in parliament, might just sneak back in and might even hold a position of huge influence.

Tell me how that disaster for New Zealand shows MMP in a good light.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish my wife Shirley a very happy birthday for yesterday – a birthday which has quite a big number in front of it. And in respect of such an auspicious occasion, I have promised not to mention the dreaded “A” word.

But I just have to mount one of my real hobby horses again – the ridiculous electoral system we call MMP.

The latest Horizon poll shows that the National Party is more than 10% ahead of the Labour Party. Now that would suggest that National as the party with most support, should be able to form a government in November. But that’s not the case. By the time Labour cobbles up support from it’s minor parties and assuming National does the same, the two coalitions are basically level pegging. And because the minor parties don’t have to align themselves to one coalition team or the other before we vote, the likelihood is that a minor party, perhaps with some radical agenda, could hold us all to ransom again. How stupid is that.

So what are the two major parties doing to shore up support for their coalitions. National needs ACT and United Future and perhaps the Maori Party. Both ACT and the United Future party are polling so low that at this stage they may not win sufficient votes to gain seats unless they win an electorate seat. So in Peter Dunne’s electorate, National is going to contest the party vote only. They have got a good candidate who they are instructing not to erode Peter Dunne’s vote. The reward for the candidate in this appalling situation is that she will no doubt be promised a safe position on National’s list. And it looks like the Green candidate in Ohariu is going to support the Labour candidate. I thought that in a democracy, the best person was supposed to win. Clearly not. It seems that the party that is prepared to get up to the most skullduggery is more likely to win.

They look like doing the same thing in Epsom to ensure John Banks returns to parliament. This is the John Banks who is only standing for ACT because he disagrees totally with the economic direction his old mates in the National government are taking. This is the John Banks who will probably only get back into parliament with the support of the people he opposes. And it gets worse. The whole reason for John Banks standing in Epsom, is to get Don Brash in on the ACT list. And not only do the National Party not want their former leader back in parliament, but the ACT party themselves clearly don’t think Brash can win Epsom. Am I the only one who finds this whole situation absolutely bizarre?

Labour needs the Greens and will no doubt be up to the same tricks – and that’s what MMP elections are all about – tricks.

I just hate what MMP has done to this country. It has created divisions and provided a platform from which radicals like Harawira can be heard. It has driven young people away from this country because they don’t want to live in the sort of country that allows such nonsense.

We simply need to remember that, taking a world view, our population merely represents a village – 4.2 million people. In the past we have always fought above our weight in business, in sports and in the arts. MMP is providing us with hamstrung coalition governments that will ensure those glory days are gone.

Obviously the catastrophic events in Christchurch have overtaken all other news items over the last week. However, whilst our thoughts are with our Cantabrian cousins we do need to be aware of what is happening in the rest of the world.

And some of the things I see happening here in New Zealand simply make my blood boil.

As far as I am concerned, Hone Harawira, and for that matter his mother should be charged with treason. Just when New Zealand needs all the help it can get Harawira is flitting around the world, often at the taxpayers expense, telling all who are silly enough to listen, what a terrible place New Zealand is. The Harawiras have said that when the Rugby World Cup is on here in New Zealand – an amazing promotional opportunity for the county – they are going to protest and show the world that we are a divided nation. I think that is simply appalling.

Of course even the Maori Party couldn’t put up with the racist rubbish that Hone spouts but sadly they have agreed not to stand a candidate against him. What we will now see, thanks to our ridiculous electoral system known as MMP is a group of racist, left wing subversives, who will form a party around Harawira and because he is bound to get elected, they will simply walk into parliament – all 5 of them – and begin to bludge on the taxpayers. What is even worse, because they would then be Members of Parliament their views may well be listened to internationally.

Frankly New Zealand deserves better then this but whilst we suffer under MMP, it can only get worse.

I challenge MMP supporters to tell me what advantages MMP has brought to our society. How has MMP improved the role of Government in our lives. What has MMP done to improve the conduct and performance of our Members of Parliament and Parliament as a whole.

In my opinion all MMP has done, is allow a whole lot of people who under a decent electoral system, would never have had a chance of becoming an MP to wander into Parliament to simply bludge off the system.

I simply can not believe there are people out there – like my brother – who think that this system works for New Zealand.

Thank you to all those who voted in the local body elections – democracy needs you. And a very big thank you to those who voted me back on to the Napier City Council, I can assure you I won’t let you down. To those who didn’t vote for me – you can rest assured I will continue to do my best for the City and all its residents and that means you too.

The current Napier City Council has received a very strong mandate from the electorate, to get on with the projects currently underway or under discussion. With some projects, like sorting out the future of the Marineland site, the time for talking is over. One of the first jobs the incoming council must do, is to bring finality to the Marineland saga that has been dividing opinion in our city for far too long.

On the hustings, virtually every candidate acknowledged that we need to address the leasehold land issue in Napier. Despite this issue being extremely complex we need to address it so that the users of the land have some certainty in the future. We need to make firm and clear decisions surrounding leasehold land and stand by them in three years time.

We also heard much from candidates, about the need to get some economic growth into the city, however we didn’t hear many ideas on how that might be done. I can assure you I have some suggestions to offer and will be presenting them to council at the first opportunity.

The New Zealand economy has gone through the toughest two years most of us will ever know and frankly we are not out of the woods yet. The longer the government goes on borrowing to facilitate their spending program, the longer it will be before we all enjoy prosperous times again. And the Napier City Council has come through the last two years particularly well.

But it’s time to take the foot off the brake and start moving it towards the accelerator. The HB Museum and Art Gallery project will be a real boost to the local economy.

Hopefully the redevelopment of the Marineland site will get underway next year as well and there are other projects in the pipeline that will give an economic boost.

So it’s all go at the Napier City Council and I look forward to a very productive three years.

I thought we had reached the low point in the local body election campaign when Robin Gwynn stooped to scare tactics at the Grey Power meeting. Frankly I still can’t believe an obviously intelligent man stooped that low.

But then along came Denise Woodhams with her letter to the Hawke’s Bay Today. I don’t know what planet Ms Woodhams has been on for the last few years, but her comments in the paper suggest she hasn’t been on the same one as you and me. What unmitigated garbage.

To suggest dolphins are a possibility at Marineland is simply dishonest. For the benefit of Ms Woodhams, I will spell the situation out very clearly:

The Labour Government refused permission to import captive bred dolphins. The National Government has refused permission to import captive bred dolphins. All minor parties oppose the importation of captive bred dolphins. Captive bred dolphins are simply not an option any more than capturing dolphins in the wild is an option.

And do you know what. I think Ms Woodhams knows that. I think she knows that dolphins are not an option for the Marineland site. I think her campaign has failed to gain any traction and she has had one last gasp attempt to be noticed. Well I’m sorry Denise but any attention you have attracted will be for all the wrong reasons.

Good Councillors can come from all walks of life, can have different skills and levels of competency but the one thing they must have is integrity.

The Napier City Council has just released its accounts for the 2009/2010 year and those accounts reflect not only the good decision making that has taken place at Councillor level, but the excellent management practices that are in place in our fair city. Napier is well served by a large team who work very well together. The politicians and the officers have great respect for each other and all pull in the same direction for the good of the city.

As this is my last piece before the results of the elections are known, win or lose I would like to thank those who have supported my quest to continue to serve our city.

And again I would like to congratulate all those who both had the guts to stand, and were prepared to be honest. Well done – democracy needs participants.

Well – on Saturday week we will all know who is going to govern us – in a local body sense – for the next three years. It has been a stressful campaign and win or lose, all candidates will be pleased when it is all over.

In Napier there have been a number of issues that have come to the fore at every meeting. The biggie for many people is the future of the Marineland site. Some believe that erosion at Westshore is the number one issue and some seem hell bent on putting in a swimming pool that will add 15 to 20% to your rates.

Virtually all candidates have said we need economic growth in Hawke’s Bay. Virtually all those candidates never proffered one suggestion as to how that growth could be achieved. One of the reasons candidates have been reluctant to disclose their ideas for the future of our City and province is that if they announce their ideas at a meeting on Tuesday, another candidate, drawn to speak before them on Thursday will suddenly discover the same idea. It happened to me on several occasions during this campaign. For that reason I’m keeping my powder dry on economic growth. If re-elected, I will be delighted to float a strong suggestion as to how we can get Hawke’s Bay moving again. If I am not re-elected I will be suggesting the same quite radical scheme because I believe it is good for the Bay. I just don’t want it to become an election issue and therefore discussed on an emotional level rather than on a good sound business basis.

One thing I have found quite amazing is that this year, people have been slow to vote.

Only about half of those we expect to vote have voted so far. I thought it would be much more than that. And the question is why are people slow to vote this year? Is it because they simply haven’t got around to it? Is it because they can’t be bothered voting at all? Is it because they are taking the whole matter so seriously, that they are leaving their decision until they have got every piece of information available?

Whatever the reason for the delay in voting, I just hope that people do record their vote before October the 9th. In my view, you not only have the right to vote, you have a responsibility to do so.

Yesterday we had our last meet the candidates meeting. I think most candidates feel they have done all they can now and are happy to taper off their campaigns.

But one candidate, Robin Gwynn was a shocker. He led off with some rant against water meters. That clearly came from his tired old memory banks because in my 3 years on council, I have never heard water meters mentioned. Because he was talking to Grey Power, people generally on fixed incomes, he was prepared to lower himself to using scare tactics. By inference he suggested that water meters were a possibility and that he would oppose them. Well I can tell you, so would every current councillor.

He then went on to discuss his solution to the bus terminal problem we have in Napier. I will give him the benefit of the doubt and say that he has been badly informed. Frankly the rubbish he spouted would suggest he again was inclined to be economical with the truth. The information he gave to the meeting was simply not correct.

The format for these meetings is appalling. The problem I have right now is that I can’t think of a better option. Any format that allows a candidate to simply tell untruths and not be challenged is unsatisfactory. However when you get 20 candidates at a meeting, how do you allow challenges?

Imagine the schemozzle if 60 people in the audience wanted to take 20 people to task for what they had said. The meetings would last all night or day – or perhaps both.

One thing is for sure. My trigger finger was itching to have a go at Robin Gwynn yesterday and there was no opportunity for me to challenge him.

And I would have taken one or two others to task as well and I dare say there would have been those who would have challenged me. I can assure you I would have welcomed the challenge.

So if you can think of a better format for local body election meetings, let me know. Who knows, in three years the pain might have worn off and I might go again.

The election campaign this year is basically all over bar the shouting. Those who are going to bother to vote (about 40% of those who could) will likely have done so, if only to get the papers off the end of the kitchen bench.

I would like to congratulate all candidates for throwing their hats into the ring. It takes guts to go through the whole campaign thing, knowing that at the end of the process you might just have a real feeling of rejection. And it is expensive too.

Of course, as usual, some candidates have intentionally tried to mislead the voters but I have a much higher opinion of the average voter than they seem to have. The voters won’t be fooled. Some candidates are advocating building a 50 metre swimming pool in Napier when they know, or if they don’t they should do, that such a project is prohibitively expensive. It sounds a highly desirable project on the hustings but I am sure the huge impact on rates would be most unpalatable.

There are those who would have us go for the Rolls Royce option on the Marineland site despite the fact that it made no economic sense to do so. The Napier City Council has spent an enormous amount of time and money on looking at viable possibilities for the Marineland site and we are close to making a decision.

Of greater concern to me, is when a candidate who should know better, goes public with a view which is clearly unsupported by facts. Robin Gwynn’s letter to the HB Today on Saturday which refers to the Napier City Councils failure to use the example of the Palmerston North transport depot to progress a similar depot here, is simply electioneering garbage. And Robin knows it.

The fact is we have had countless conversations and meetings with the management of the Inter City Bus operators. The Mayor even visited their offices in Auckland. They are simply not interested in contributing to a dedicated passenger depot in Napier. And we have also discussed the Palmerston North depot as we looked at our options.

Despite all the difficulties, the Napier City Council has worked hard to reach a compromise with the bus company. The busses now stop in Dalton Street where there is cover, a phone on the corner and toilets nearby.

Robin’s letter in the paper on Saturday was typically lightweight electioneering. Even he, I am sure, will be pleased that it’s nearly all over.

Last night I attended my third “meet the candidates meeting” during this election campaign. Now many of you will know that these are usually pretty dry affairs with candidate after candidate saying the same old thing. And that’s why it surprises me that there are a few hardy souls who have attended all three meetings.

I would dearly like to see a return to well run, good old fashioned tub thumping political meetings where the crowd could interact vigorously with the candidates, where candidates were put on the spot and made to justify their claims.

Maybe then we would get better attendance at these meetings and more interest in local body politics.

The recurring theme in this campaign seems to be “let’s get some fresh young faces on the various councils.” Well I don’t claim to be young at 59 and nobody would suggest I’m fresh-faced. But I do believe we need councils made up of people with enthusiasm and experience. After just one term as a councillor I remain enthusiastic about the job and that one term has given me invaluable experience to bring to the next council table.

I would also make the point that some of the most experienced councillors were the biggest help to me as I was learning the ropes.

It is of considerable concern to me that aspiring councillors are suggesting to voters that they can bring all sorts of initiatives and projects to the city without any idea of how they may be funded. That would suggest that they are either being intentionally misleading or they simply have not done their homework. Whatever the answer, the fact remains that the voters are being given a bum steer.

The pro-ward faction in Napier has attempted to stack meetings to reinforce their arguments. Their case is severely weakened by the fact that half of the ward candidates are being elected unopposed and 15 people are seeking election on an “at large” basis. That makes a nonsense of the system. Not only that but the chief proponent of wards in Napier, Robin Gwynn is not prepared to stand in one – he insists on standing “at large” again.

But the nonsense will soon be over. The voting papers go out this week and those who are going to vote are likely to vote soon after. Then, whatever the outcome, we can all get on with our normal lives.