Editorial: Mayor's choice must be respected

Mark Dawson, Editor of Wanganui Chronicle

The newly elected Whanganui District Council holds its first meeting of the three-year term tomorrow.

While it is a largely ceremonial affair with the "swearing in" of the new mayor and councillors as they make their statutory declarations, it is still an important occasion.

That declaration includes a vow to act "in the best interests of Whanganui district". You could scarcely get more important than that undertaking.

The council faces plenty of challenges and it will need unity, consensus and teamwork to meet them and serve our "best interests".

So it was disturbing to hear of rumours (as reported in last Friday's Chronicle) that there might be a move from some councillors to overturn mayor-elect Hamish McDouall's choice of deputy.

Let us hope it is just rumours.

While all councillors have a role to play, the mayor's job is fulltime and carries a significantly greater burden. Mr McDouall was elected with a healthy majority and needs a deputy in whom he has complete confidence. His decision must be respected.

Any move to reject his choice would, of course, also be a move to undermine Mr McDouall's position and would suggest personal ambition and individual agendas at play, and a divided council before it has even got down to business.

The people of Whanganui deserve better than that.

New councillor David Bennett said last week that a rejection of Mr McDouall's choice would be a "PR disaster" for the new mayor. He was only half-right.

It would be a PR disaster for the whole council and create a division likely to fester for the three-year term and potentially render it dysfunctional.