Wednesday's HB Today Editorial by Chris Hyde asserted that EIT and regional mayors should follow the lead of SIT and Invercargill's Mayor Tim Shadbolt in fighting planned changes to our sector up to and including legal action.
The writer instructed us to, "Give 'em hell, I say." In saying this he reveals that he is largely oblivious to the spirited and passionate campaign fought by our region's leaders on behalf of the current structure of EIT.
Hawke's Bay as a region much less Tairāwhiti have seldom spoken with one voice and yet the regional submission to the RoVE process was not only strong, well-reasoned and logical, it was supported and signed by every mayor from Gisborne to Central Hawke's Bay, Hawke's Bay DHB, Hawke's Bay Regional Council, Secondary Principals Associations from both Hawke's Bay and Tairāwhiti, Ngati Kahungunu, Ngati Porou, Chambers of Commerce, and a large number of additional letters of support were also attached.
We lobbied hard then and are continuing to do so.
The writer rightly describes EIT's successes across every dimension including our ability to successfully manage our finances.