Meet the Waipa Council Candidates evening Tuesday 28th of September

Meet the Waipa Council Candidates evening Tuesday 28th of September

It is obvious by the questions asked from the floor that the community is very concerned with the current spending spree of the outgoing Council.

The problem is if the current batch of Councillors are voted off the alternatives are not good.

Outgoing Mayor A. Livingstone is set on his path with Cox and Jull ready to bulldoze any suggestion to slow down the spending and budget over runs.

Peter Lee although he claims to have seen the light this time around, what has he been doing for the last 6 or more years when he had the opportunity.

Leaving Mr Steve Baron, he has the qualifications, he does have a desire to reduce spending and he wants to communicate on major issues through referenda.  Is he the person to take Waipa into the next 10 years or are we missing out on something these outgoing Council members are spending all that money on. I can tell you one thing, Steve Barron is going to save money and get more bang for our dollar. Current spending is out of control as the Waipa Business needs someone to refocus on quality spend and smarter ways of achieving results.

But who would you pick to be on a Barron lead council? It is obvious that the current councillors are not going to support him but who would benefit the ‘team’?

Vern Wilson may not have been exposed to this kind of organisation before but will have the live experience to cope and stand up to be counted. We need one more but the remaining options are either to inexperienced or just not up with the play. This means either Cox or Jull need to stay on to carry on with some of the knowledge. My guess is Jull but would he want to be there without his support system?

Time will tell, just study these people before you make up your mind.

Hamilton super-city finds common ground

As reported in the Waikato Times

All three Waikato District Council mayoral candidates have doubts about the feasibility of an Auckland-style super-city council if it were to be formed in the Waikato.

In answering a question from the floor at a candidates meeting in Te Kowhai on Monday night, Allan Sanson, Clint Baddeley and Frank McInally found common ground.

Mr Sanson said he was totally opposed to the concept.

"There is no benefit whatsoever to our ratepayers," he said. "The city (Hamilton) has a spiralling debt problem."

Frank McInally called it "a geographic impossibility" in the Waikato.

"It is the only thing I agree with Allan on. I strongly oppose it, it would be a nightmare."

Mr Baddeley had more of an open mind, and pointed out there were already shared services between councils, but he was not totally convinced. "The problem is the community has been left out of the super-city process," he said. "I take the view we need to work with our partners in the region."

But his starting point would be to delegate more powers to community boards. "Our communities have to feel like they have a voice that is listened to."

On the issue of Tainui's Waikato River settlement, aimed at restoring the well-being of the river, Mr McInally was the only candidate to express doubts.

Mr Sanson backed the process, saying everybody wanted a clean river.

Mr Baddeley said aspirations to restore the health of the river for future generations were at the forefront of Tainui thinking.

But Mr McInally was concerned too much of the river settlement money would be frittered away on administrative costs

Waipa local body elections

Who would, in their right mind stand for Council? 
Not as if you are paid well, you will not get praised for doing it, in fact you get a lot of abuse when you get it wrong!

This is most probably they way the incumbent councilors are thinking right now, who are we as a community? 


Not so long ago we where far enough away from Hamilton to be a self sufficient rural town with a hart and soul. These days we are a bit of that and a bit a satellite town for Hamilton. Our rural identity is not as strong as it once was, even farmers look around for the best deal and can not always find that in Te Awamutu anymore. The rest look at the bigger world out there and find anything they wish for in Hamilton and beyond. 

Our counselors, apart from Dean Taylor and Hazel Barnes, do little to give us a hart, a hart developed by communication with the rate payers, after all as counselors you are suppose to represent their needs, not your own version of or hobby project. The rate payers are about as connected with the council as a beef farmer with the vegetarian movement. 

An example is the bomb shell when the Museum/Cultural Center plans where reveled. Rate payers shockingly claimed to know nothing about it, council claims it has been on the table for years. Have the past councilors done enough to communicate with the rate payer? .........I think not!

I read the claims for re-election such as, 'I have worked hard and have achieved for the council', I have experience, (in what?) look people we want some evidence of that, anyone can say those empty words. Sorry, if I have just hurt your feelings but to work in a state of disengagement with your voters is just not good enough. Say what you stand for make yourself available to the community and listen to what they are saying. Write some letters to the Courier Editor from time to time to inform rather than to defend. Sure Dean Taylor has got a unfair advantage there but that is why he gets people on side at least you know what he is up to!

Oh and did I mention there is a shrinking job market and people are struggling financially out here?

'LOWER RATES' is a good catch cry!

Te Awamutu Museum

Reading the Courier this week, I noticed a advertisement depicting post office staff in front of the Post Office taken in 1963. This was incidentally as the ad describes the third building for this purpose build on the same site.


It came as a bolt from the sky.

A historical significant building with a rich local historic story to tell. Right in the middle of Te Awamutu, accessible to all people. It has even potential for a museum cafe!.


I believe the building ownership is in the hands of a Maori group in payment for grieves settlement of the historic past. The building has been neglected and has become a negative image for the town ship right on the corner of the very hart of Te Awamutu.


This is getting better all the time, the museum has significant Maori art affects by the dozen and wants to display them at a cost of 15 million dollars in the proposed new building.


Am I missing something here?................can you join the dots?........... I have!!

Hone Harawira (alias John Hadfield ... his true name)

Enjoy Walking Eagle On a recent trip to the U.S.A., Maori Party M.P. Hone Harawira (alias John Hadfield ..... his true name ... his grandfather was a pakeha) was invited to address a  major gathering of the American Indian Nations in Kitimat, B.C. due to his recent examples of how to inflame the Maori Indigenous situation in New Zealand. He spoke for almost an hour.... echoing his racist mother's doomed to fail radical ideas for increasing any First Nation's present standard of living. At the conclusion of his speech, the tribes presented Hone with a plaque inscribed with his new Indian name - "Walking Eagle". The proud Hone then departed with his entourage, waving to the crowd as he left. A news reporter later asked the American Indian chiefs how they came to select the new name given to Hone. They explained that "Walking Eagle" is the name given to a bird so full of shit, it can no longer fly.

The latest from Hone

Osama bin Laden and Hone Harawira

THU, 05 MAY 2011 6:59A.M.

By Dan Satherley

Controversial ex-Maori Party MP Hone Harawira has called Osama bin Laden a freedom fighter, saying the former terrorist mastermind should be "honoured", not "damned", as according to Maori custom.

According to the English subtitles of Maori Television's Native Affairs, Mr Harawira said bin Laden "pursued independence for his people, his family and his tribe", reports the New Zealand Herald.

"I acknowledge him and bid him farewell," said Mr Harawira. "Return to your ancestors who wait for you beyond the veil of death.

"Despite what the media has said, his family, his tribe, his people are in mourning.

"They mourn for the man who fought for the rights, the land and the freedom of his people. We should not damn them in death, but acknowledge the positive aspects of life."

Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples said utu, or revenge, was a Maori custom, but was uncomfortable at celebrations over bin Laden's death.

"We don't agree with the extent of the celebrations or with anyone celebrating the assassination of anyone and then the person's body being discarded into the sea," he told Te Karere.

Labour's Shane Jones slammed Mr Harawira's comments, saying it was not Maori custom to uncritically honour the dead.

"In the old days, a great enemy - if he wasn't eaten - his bones were used to make musical instruments," he said.

"So this romantic notion that in the old time, Maori spent hours of their time saluting the enemy was not the case.

"Enemies were turned to dust and people rejoiced, because of the suffering they had caused."

Mr Harawira's understanding of Maori culture and history was also rejected by new ACT Party leader Don Brash on last night's Close Up. Dr Brash said the Treaty of Waitangi granted all New Zealand citizens the same rights, an assertion Mr Harawira rejected, saying the Maori version of the treaty guaranteed Maori rights other New Zealanders didn't necessarily have.

10 Reasons why we in New Zealand are so lucky (no thanks to Helen Clark)

September 13, 2010

Ten reasons to be cheerful
By Bernard HickeyNew Zealand has just suffered its biggest corporate collapse since 1989 and its biggest natural disaster since 1931. Both events have the potential to destabilise the economic recovery, but they won't.There are 10 reasons to be cheerful after two weeks of gloom. They are also an antidote for those who say I am a permanent harbinger of doom.1. We are lucky to be next to the luckiest countryNew Zealand is lucky to have the luckiest country on the planet as its largest trading partner and nearest neighbour. Australia's economy just created another 53,100 jobs in August and it continues to benefit from China's apparently insatiable appetite for raw materials.We have our own lucky attributes. Our water-rich land, fisheries and mineral resources are a real asset married to our stable political and legal systems.2. We are in the Asian hemisphereNew Zealand also has plenty of its own strong connections with an economy that is set to overtake America and become the world's largest by 2030. China is now our second largest trading partner and wants more of our knowledge, resources and clean, green attributes. There are challenges that come with that demand, but it's better to be wanted than not.3. Our economy is underwritten by Australian taxpayersWhisper it quietly when you're next visiting the relatives in Australia, but we are lucky that our banking system is owned by Australian shareholders and backed by its government. The core of any economy is its banking system and it is the element most vulnerable in any crisis.Australia's taxpayers and savers proved they would underwrite our banks in October 2008 when they provided a guarantee and pumped in A$20 billion worth of fresh cash.4. We are learning our lessonsNew Zealanders have pulled their heads in after the excesses of the naughty noughties (2000s) and are saving again. A Treasury paper out this week showed household debt to disposable income is falling and consumers are being a lot more careful through this recovery to repay debt or save more before spending more.5. The government is reforming our tax systemHowever slow and limited the reforms are, our government is trying to restructure the economy away from consumption and housing and towards production and exports. The increase in the GST rate, the removal of some of the property tax breaks and the reduction in income taxes from October 1 will start to tilt the economy.6. The hot money has dried upThe Global Financial Crisis and the introduction by the Reserve Bank of its Core Funding Ratio (CFR) have combined to force our banks to find their funding from local Mums and Dads rather than on 'hot' wholesale money markets overseas.All this is helping to stop our foreign debts growing and keep a lid on the housing market. It has also kept our currency remarkably stable in the last year.7. Many of our best are stayingAmbitious and talented technology entrepreneurs such as Sam Morgan and Rod Drury remain here in New Zealand, reinvesting their wealth to build great new businesses such as Xero and the Pacific Fibre cable. They will connect us to the global 'computing cloud' and allow services exporters to overcome the tyranny of distance.8. We are a resourceful, creative and resilient bunchThe earthquake and our reaction since the Global Financial Crisis has been to pull together and to get on with rebuilding with a minimum of social strife and disruption. Not every country has that ability.9. The rest of the world loves usMany New Zealanders underestimate how popular and loved we are elsewhere. We're small enough not to be threatening. We seen as innovative, creative, open and friendly. We shouldn't be complacent, but we can grow and trade and collaborate on the strength of that good vibe.10. Summer is coming.*This article appeared in the Herald on Sunday.

Candidates for Waipa Council and Te Awamutu community board

http://www.elections2010.co.nz/2010/elections/waipa-district-council#waipa-district-mayor

Makes you wonder what the incumbents have done for the rate payer.

You do get the feeling many do it for their own power trip?

I would like to see other publicly stating what they are standing for.

We have one Mayoral hopeful wanting to reduce rates, well that is a first!