Letters: True democracy at work

Dr Reynold Macpherson misses out on the Rotorua mayoralty. PHOTO/FILE

Well, it didn't take Reynold Macpherson long to complain about the election results (Letters, October 10).

Steve Chadwick was re-elected mayor by the Rotorua public. Whether her majority, as you put it, was slashed to 2700 or 27 votes, that's still more than you received. This is what democracy is all about. Democracy being: as defined by the Oxford Dictionary as "a system of government by the whole population through elected representation". I find it farcical that you would try to blame other candidates, who by their own democratic rights, put their hand up for the mayoralty. Try looking at one's self before assigning blame.

As for these men answering "questions about their integrity", again let's look to one's self. After you publicly defamed council employees at the beginning of your campaign with blatant non-truths, are you now prepared to reimburse this council for all costs incurred by you? Let us not forget this was not the first time you named council staff as "spin doctors".

So using my democratic right to free speech, I wholeheartedly accept and support the results of the people of Rotorua in this year's elections. So I will pledge to support the mayor and new council for the next term. Will I agree with them all the time, I trust not, but that is true democracy at work, not a one-sided view of some.

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CHARLIE WINDELL
Rotorua

There is some change ahead for the next three years.

I hope the mayor will consider why the number of votes she won plummeted from those in 2013.

It's not so much that she has retained a mandate for her policies but rather, the votes against her, totalling more, were split.

I also hope that those incumbent councillors whose vote numbers fell will consider why this occurred. Our deputy mayor, so popular three years ago, is now halfway down the list.

What we need now is true consultation with ratepayers and all councillors being given all relevant information in plenty of time for genuine debate within the council chamber. What we don't need is a repeat of the previous term where council decisions were passed with the same division of votes; the same members voting for a motion, the same members voting against.

I hope we see positive change, rather than retention of the 'us and them' practice of the last term.

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PADDI HODGKISS
Rotorua