The ODT of 23rd September 2010 published an op/ed article by Anton Oliver (described as an Environmental Campaigner) on Central Otago. He seemed to be making the most of the local government election period to get his views printed, although the candidate he is supporting does not exist in the current field.
Interesting also to see Anton playing the man and not the ball - usually a sign that the game is lost, and retribution with the boot is all that's left for a forward to indulge in.
Here's a list of statements from Anton's article (in italics), and my responses:
(1) " ... decisions are made behind closed doors, obfuscation and duplicity the standard practice."
I've replied in the past to similar charges - Anton is effectively accusing the CODC of corruption. Click here for my response
(2) " ... we ... need strong leaders, leaders who are prepared to make courageous decisions, who have the ability to visualise the future, share this vision and put in place a structure that is going to get us there."
Leaders who acted that way in the last couple of hundred years have ended up swinging from lamp posts or cremated in the ruins of their visionary follies. The last thing any community needs in New Zealand is an individual's 'courageous decisions'. We need informed consensus, agreed goals, and unanimity.
(3) "The future of Central Otago will require leaders and a council that are both accountable to the public for their actions and that make their processes transparent, both of which are currently sadly lacking."
I can't think of a single occasion in my time on the CODC when important decisions were not debated in public, with full reporting and individual accountability. The CODC does not conduct its business behind closed doors. We are transparent and accountable.
(4) "The public don't know what the councillors think about Project Hayes, the dams for the Clutha and the Nevis, lignite mining etc. Quite simply, this is a disgrace."
I'm sure if they were asked, CODC councillors would be only too happy to tell Anton what they think about the topics he has nominated. The Hayes consent decision was made by an independent hearings panel, not by the council. Councillors' views are and were irrelevant. The council hasn't been asked to make a decision about any of the others, and may not. If we were building a stadium, and committing large amounts of taxpayer money, I'm sure there would be endless expressions of individual opinion.
(5) "We all know the story if we continue on with the status quo: major companies engage with decision-makers, deals are done, obstacles are cleared through the attenuation of local legislation and a quelling of public dissent via a process of disinformation."
I don't have any idea what this means! It doesn't describe any process that I'm aware of. Every element of this statement is both false and misleading. It reflects an eco-fascist world view riddled with elitism.
(6) "The current mayor is on record for supporting the Project Hayes wind farm, dams and lignite mining, continually citing the need for jobs ahead of all else."
This is of course a simplistic and misleading representation of my views. What I have been saying - for some time - is that I don't believe the CODC will be able to stand on the sidelines as those big energy decisions are made, and that we will have to find a way to uncover what our communities want, and advocate for those outcomes. This will be constitutionally problematic - hard to do - but we will need to find ways that work.
(7) "These are pressing times and we need men and woman who are prepared to lead us in an alternative direction, who are willing to express their views and be accountable for these views to those who have elected them; are you prepared to trust a man or woman who won't front up for decisions or express opinions on decisions that will be, or have been, made?"
What alternative direction, Anton? What if the majority of the people in Central Otago don't want to go there? More eco-fascism?
I can't think of anyone in or around local government in Central Otago who is not accountable for their views, not prepared to front up, or who is shy about expressing their opinions. I routinely do all of those things - some would say to a fault!
Malcolm Macpherson
September 23, 2010