He has even tried to undermine me as Mayor of Wairoa, telling people at his pro-meetings in Wairoa that I said amalgamation would eventually happen. That is something I simply have not and will not say.
I have been appalled he has the audacity to campaign in Wairoa, basically suggesting the present governance in Wairoa isn't working.
I would never contemplate undermining another Council, especially a neighbour.
Next up we had the master of spin doctors, Rick Barker, who basically spoke all evening of pie in the sky savings - either $8.5 million or $10 million. He spoke of how inefficient present governance was, the present governance that he as a Councillor continually block votes with his three mates - so maybe he could be one of the problems. He also spoke of how ineffective local government was, yet doing nothing in his tenure as an MP to fix it!
He spoke of the frustrating five plans/rules we have in this region.
This is a requirement under Government legislation - one plan is not legally possible.
Where his story really unravelled was when he spoke about Christchurch.
He said with a population of 400,000 they had one CEO and one Mayor - oops Rick, you should have said that also included two other Councils and a Regional Council, another three CEOs, two Mayors and a Chairman. But don't let the facts get in the way of a good story!
I listened with scepticism when Mr Barker and Mr Yule spoke of how hopeless past Local Government was. What an insult to previous Mayors and Councillors. They also forgot they were in charge then and were quite happy to be on the gravy train, it wasn't a problem then.
He even said "staff will be sacked, it's a fact of life", yet we are told we will retain all the present offices. He said it was really easy to get one computer system up and running. In Auckland this has cost an extra $750 million! This is when the Tui ad came to mind - Yeah right!
Mr Yule thought he had pulled a coup. He had Kahungunu chairman Ngahiwi Tomoana sitting at his table, because he had recently stated all of Kahungunu supported amalgamation.
Ngahiwi probably should have consulted his people before he dropped that bombshell. Ngahiwi sang a beautiful song, but the evening wasn't about feeling good and having a sing-along, it should have been facts. I have to say not much of that passed the lips of the pro-group.
The only interjections came from the aggressive ABHB group. Their belief, along with Mr Yule, is that it is their God-given right to bulldoze this proposal through. Thank God the tide has well and truly started to turn. Money can't buy this one. I know the Hawke's Bay region know they have to VOTE, to kick this proposal, not to touch, but out of the stadium!
Just think - would you put your family home into a combined investment and lose control?
Hawke's Bay councils do work.
Mr Yule has to get off his high horse and work with other councils in Hawke's Bay, and as the President use his power of rubbing shoulders with our nation's leaders to promote this region, not his ego!
VOTE NO TO THIS CAUSTIC PROPOSAL!
-Craig Little is the Mayor of Wairoa
-Viewpoints on the Hawke's Bay amalgamation debate can be submitted for consideration and will be used as long as no council resources, money, time or expertise are used in their preparation. This is a requirement of the Local Government Act 2002.
