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Democracy Policy Launch Gets An Editorial In The Chronicle
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WANGANUI CHRONICLE’ Editorial: Saturday, 29 May 2004
ADVOCATES OF CHANGE

Politicians are born; they’re not made. Politicians are survivors; their DNA shows up a long and strong strand of stickability. They aren’t politicians because the money’s good; they’re driven by other desires.

Consummate politicians, however, are at another level, and Wanganui mayoral candidate Michael Laws fits into this category easily. And he showed why when he unveiled the “democracy” policy of his local body election team, Vision Wanganui.

His presentation was faultless, his delivery impeccable. In fact even detractors or non-believers would have been impressed.

It was definitely Michael’s time. In an almost messianic presentation, he rolled out Vision Wanganui’s policy. And, it has to be said, it is a policy that some will find instantly appealing.

Others will be more cautious before joining other knights on this particular crusade.

But it has to be said that at least the bones of this particular policy were fleshed out with substance rather than flimsy rhetoric. It is a policy that preaches the gospel of ratepayers governance; of those who pay the bills having the say in how the money will be spent.

There are some questions attached to this “government of the people, by the people, for the people” agenda. If, for example, “big ticket” items are to be taken to the people for their endorsement, then time and costs will be issues.

Costs will be absorbed, apparently, by pruning back expenditure in other areas and by cutting back the number of committees and the meetings they hold; by replacing the rural board with regular “mayoral forums” and – with the Local Government Commission’s blessing – paring back the number of councillors from the current 12 to eight.

There is more to the policy, as our [Saturday] story on page 3 explained, but the point is that these are issues that push all the right buttons for some people. They are radical in terms of local body politics we are used to, but that is the whole point of the Laws campaign: it’s about change.

This is Michael Laws’ agenda. He has too much of an understanding of it to be otherwise. And you can’t help but think that he’s been tinkering away on this document for a long time and has finally found the vehicle to move it along.

This policy comes to nought if Laws’ mayoral bid fails. Even if he does succeed he will need like-minded councillors in a place to provide the impetus for the “vision” to become reality.

Interesting times lie ahead.

ENDS