The council portfolio leaders have been announced and I was astounded to see that the second-highest polling councillor has not been assigned one. This councillor is obviously very popular with Rotorua residents and this popularity and knowledge should have been used by council.
What is more astounding in my view is that the councillor who polled bottom after a significant fall from grace, has been assigned two portfolio positions, including the one that in my view was a catalyst for her fall from grace! Where's the logic? We can only surmise.
PADDI HODGKISS
Rotorua
In response to Reynold Macpherson (Letters December 14).
Our democratically elected council, through its deliberations and massive public consultations, determined that representatives of our community would join its councillors on two committees. That the Te Arawa community chose the path of democratically electing members to a board who would be trusted with specifically selecting their representatives, differs very little to our Lakes and Rural communities who chose the customary procedure of allowing all to stand for election in a ballot. The two methods differ, both are legitimate, both are democratic, and both achieved the same results: the seating of their representatives at the committee table. I could vote for none.
Dr Macpherson persists on using words such as "backdoor" and "unelected". With his knowledge of things political and their procedures, I can only assume that he is using these words mischievously.
He writes that the representatives of Te Arawa are there to advance their tribal interests. I have no doubt that the representatives of the lakes and rural communities will also be advancing their own interests, why else would they be there?
[ABRIDGED]
JOHN PAKES
Rotorua
