Proof that there is still plenty of heat in the debate over a unitary authority for Wairarapa was evident at a committee meeting of Masterton District Council this week.
A seemingly innocuous appointment of a councillor to the Wairarapa Governance Review Working Party was stifled when debate arose over who should be on the review party to accompany mayor Lyn Patterson and her deputy Graham McClymont.
It had been intended to appoint long-serving councillor Jonathan Hooker as the council's third member of the review working party but that led to some councillors claiming that would mean all three representatives were drawn from the pro-unitary council lobby.
Councillor Gary Caffell questioned whether it was wise to have three who shared the same thinking or whether the third representative should be someone who leaned towards closer ties with Wellington.
He was supported by councillor Brent Goodwin who said he would like to see "someone from the other side of the fence joining in" and councillor David Holmes who said the "unitary authority thread may not be as strong as you think".
