Palmerston North Issues

Breaking News: Mighty River Power receives knock-out blow!!!

MRP's eleventh-hour bid to have 12 extra wind turbines reinstated to its Turitea wind farm project has been declined. The small, 60-turbine development falls short of the 104-turbine project Mighty River Power wanted to build. The Board of Inquiry decision released today holds firm to the scale indicated in its draft decision in February. The power company's request for 12 turbines to be reinstated was declined. The board, chaired by

Environment Court

Judge Shonagh Kenderdine, said it was not surprising that MRP wanted to maximise the size of the farm given the windy site, and its proximity to the national grid and centres of electricity demand. But it did not accept MRP's argument that its decision should be influenced by the issue of economic viability. "Changes in the economics of the project are a matter properly for MRP, not the board.'' Ends

"In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act: "George Orwell”:

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The full council has now met and has confirmed that STV will be with us for at least the next two local body elections, the vote was 10 to five, so it was good to see that the council can sometimes make progressive decisions on some issues at least. Alas on the downside their rejection of a progressive move toward developing a Maori Ward proves yet again their timidity in taking a chance to develop new and better ways of advancing local government participation and real interaction for our citizens is still lacking, but where there is life there is hope. Some of the structures built by the council seem to be just window dressing, take for example the youth council…Why do we have a Youth Council, if not to encourage participation by youth? But the council fails to give or share any real decision making power. Why are they scared of youth? The same applies to wards. The reappearance of the ‘Residents Association’ is a direct response to the total collapse of formal Ward Committees and their replacement by so-called ward forums run by councillors for councillors which has led to the obvious lack of connection between residents and the so-called Ward Councillors.

Last weeks shocking councillor attendance figures prove beyond doubt that some councillors [Barnett, Dennison, Kelly, to name but three] simply don’t represent the residents who they purport to represent. People deserve better bangs for their bucks.

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It has been reported that the suicide rate in the Palmerston North area is the highest in NZ, one per week, this is shocking and sad and leads to some fundamental questions, but will they ever be asked? So long as the Mayor fails to allow our Youth Council or our Council to meaningfully discuss this issue progress will be slow.

Suicide is as much about social conditions and the society as it is about mental health. This subject is one which is constantly swept under the carpet as are questions of a racial nature which tend to automatically touch a nerve within leaders psychological defenses. But these are debates worthy of our attention and participation. So why do we fail to discuss these issues? Are we too frightened to acknowledge our failures, or do we lack the self or collective determination to face up to the factual reality that our social services are failing each and every day. These are powerful questions that need honest and transparent debate. While the government seeks to hide the truth, these defects will continue to exist.

Democracy for all

This from No Right Turn:

“Greater Wellington Regional Council has decided to move to STV from 2013. Good. STV is a much fairer voting system than the bloc-vote usually used in local body elections (which is in effect a "winner take all" for a narrow plurality). Meanwhile, I'm just hoping Palmerston North City Council, which is considering a similar move, will make the right decision and adopt a fair voting system”. [Quote ends]

This is a victory for common-sense and one that I believe should happen here in Palmerston North. Democracy is not a static concept but is a living and changing activity. While some will attempt to restrain progressive changes to the accepted process of course democracy has its faults and some will seek to use those faults for their own purposes.

For years in NZ the system of first past the post was used to favour rural electorates who had fewer voters than city or urban electorates. In fact only once or twice has a party received over fifty percent of the total votes cast. The highest was the Labour Party’s victory back in the thirties when it gathered 54%.

As Grayling points out, “Democracy is only respectable when it can be made to work effectively and, even more importantly, fairly”. The goals are stable government, accommodating minorities and individuals, plus including majority interests.

A balance of MMP for national elections [which fairly represents parties] and STV for local government [which fairly represents individuals] seems to me like a sound balance.

While NZ slowly moves toward this balance other countries seem to be disenfranchising voters, for example the US which likes to see itself as the home of democracy but is slowly but surely removing the right to vote especially for the black and poorer citizens. The last term of Brush was clearly brought about by the disenfranchising of hundreds of thousands of black voters in key states.     

Of course a condition of genuine and effective democracy is an informed electorate and some major political parties and key individuals don’t actually want this to happen and that is a major concern. What they concentrate on is ‘Why not to change’ rather than the greater good. To them democracy takes second place to retaining power for they concentrate on the negative rather than the positive. Thousands of people have died advancing democracy and they deserve better from us for whom they died.