Editorial: Work ahead after torrid campaign

Andrew Austin looks at local government elections.

The elections are over and the people (well, some of them at least) have spoken.

It was a long and sometimes torrid campaign for most candidates and there have been some interesting results across our province.

Some candidates who expected to get in were dumped and others who were not given a chance, sneaked in. And then there were some results that were entirely predictable.

By far the fiercest battles have been waged in the regional council and Napier City Council elections. At times the animosity was clear and the politics got extremely dirty. Insults were traded and the body language at some of the meet-the-candidate meetings was openly hostile.

A few of these bitter rivals are now on the same councils and they will have to work together. While it is important that councillors and health board members are not simply yes men or women to their mayor or chairperson, they also need to put egos aside and work for the good of the people who elected them (and even those who did not).

We have heard the brash promises and bold talk from the candidates, now let us see the action from the elected representatives.

There are tough issues, most especially amalgamation, facing the Bay in the next year or two and it is important that all the self-interested noise ceases so that the right choices can be made.

More than one candidate told me during this campaign how they were not standing for any personal gain, but were rather doing it for the people and their community. It was a sacrifice, not an ego trip.

Now is their chance to prove it.