Voting in local body elections is under way, with the poll closing noon 12 October. With the push for co-governance and partnership arrangements gathering speed, there’s a lot riding on our choices this election. The next three years will make a huge difference to our future.
You should have received your ballot papers by now. If you have not, click here to get enrolled before Friday 11 October. For more information visit the Department of Internal Affairs website HERE. Additionally, the Auckland Council ‘Information for voters’ page is available HERE.
In last month’s Democracy Action Update we recommended some questions you could ask of the candidates before you cast your vote. Others are also available on the Hobson’s Pledge website - please click HERE.
In case it’s useful, Hobson’s Pledge has tried to determine where candidates stand on race-based policies/governance. Please click HERE for a link to the results of their questioning. You will notice that most have declined to answer. This is where you come in. Please approach those you are considering voting for and ask where they stand on race-based representation.
Auckland City Council candidates
Five Auckland Mayoralty candidates have come out as anti-separatism. They are:
COOTE Michael Independent [email protected]
Michael is standing on the platform of racial equality for all. His candidate profile is available HERE, and Facebook page HERE
JOHNSTON Ted [email protected]
KRUGER Susanna Justice for Families [email protected]
SNELGAR Glen Old Skool [email protected]
Hamilton City Council
The Waikato Times undertook a questionnaire for the West ward of the Hamilton City Council. One of the questions asked of the candidates was: “Should the city council have elected Māori seats?”
Please see their responses below:
YES: Rudi du Plooy, Melaina Huaki, Louise Hutt, Dave Macpherson, Shanti Ralm and Sarah Thomson.
NO: Chris Davis, Matthew Small, Geoff Taylor and Ewan Wilson
Those who do not support Maori wards but do support Māori appointments onto council committees: Peter Bos, Martin Gallagher and Angela O'Leary.
Councillors who did not respond to the call to take part in the survey were: Siggi Henry, Geoff Holt, Michelle Houghton, David McNab, Matt Shea, and Leo Tooman.
For detailed responses, please see Stuff article: How Hamilton West council candidates stand on issues impacting the city
Race-based policies are not racism, but equal treatment is?
One would think that any policy based on race would, by definition, be racist. But, as Hobson’s Pledge report in a recent article “In our Orwellian world, racism is not racism and equal treatment is”, this is not the case. See the article in full HERE.