TogetherTahi duo hard done by

Matt Keene and Ash Holwell's election hoardings impressed, but failed to get the "Vote for me!" message across. Photo/Michael Cunningham

Democracy is a curious system, but it's the best one we've got.

Winston Churchill once said that the "best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with a voter".

He also supposedly said that it was the worst form of government, "apart from all the others".

Clearly, the PM who presided over Britain in some of its darkest times had a sense of humour.

Because democracy isn't perfect.

Just ask Matt Keene.

If there is one candidate who should consider himself unlucky to have not been elected in 2016, it is Keene.

Keene stood in the Whangarei mayoral race and in Denby ward. He impressed people during the Whangarei mayoral campaign, and gained valuable profile.

But when the Denby results were collated, Keene was at least 250 votes shy of being elected.

Keene stood on the TogetherTahiticket with Ash Holwell. Both were mayoral candidates, and funnily enough were almost together as one when it came to mayoral votes. Keene got 926, Holwell 923.

In Holwell's Okara ward, he came 7th out of 17 and was only about 90votes away from being elected.

So what happened? Who knows, although there was one wee blip on TogetherTahi's crusade to grab votes: Choosing to not ask for them.

When they erected roadside hoardings, they put up art. Not a VOTE KEENE! or VOTE HOLWELL! in sight.

Voters who already knew about TogetherTahi would have nodded their heads.
Others would have shaken theirs, confused.

A bit like many did after the election results were out, when neither of the TogetherTahi candidates were elected.

Hopefully we see them again in three years time, when, like the voters, we are all a wee bit older and wiser.

We need candidates of the calibre of the TogetherTahi duo involved in local government.

To not have them involved, would be a travesty that would only continue to highlight how imperfect democracy is.