TPPA opponents cite the absence of transparency of the negotiations and the leaked documents that show the treaty's potential negative impact on financial services and on cost of medicines and supersession of corporate aims over local protections.
The minority of four contend that the issue is not local but nationally significant and thus the district council has no part to play. Cr Vinsen went further - he trusts the present National-led government in its negotiations on our behalf.
The minority contention that district council has no role to play in representing Wanganui on a national issue must be weighed against precedents where councillors, individually or collectively, have done just that. To cite but a few: the gang patch debacle, the campaign on maternity services and hospital downsizing, and the march on a local business selling a then-legal synthetic cannabis product, a matter of national government regulation.
These principles, which seem to be otherwise flexible in application, are no excuse for the arrogance and rudeness of councillors unwilling to listen to citizens who wish to petition their government.
Cr Vinsen's blanket endorsement of an agreement which none but a few will know in detail prior to enactment, with alleged potential disaster for our local citizens in their financial, and medical interests, raises serious questions.
One can easily conclude that these councillors put their political adherences ahead of their obligations to the citizens and to the democratic process, which requires respect for opposing views and open debate of important issues.
Substantively, if Wanganui citizens' physical health and financial health are not important local issues, I don't know what is.
If this is not the business of council, what is?
No political principle is more important than democratic process, and there is no excuse for rude action that subverts that process.
Recently in these pages (April 2, 2014), I congratulated council's reconsideration of the Taupo Quay development and plane trees for the open-mindedness of members and their willingness to listen to opposing views that were well presented.
Today, I'm wondering whether my compliments were premature.
I've consistently maintained that a fundamental duty owed by councillors to the citizens is the respect which encourages vigorous participation in the dialogue that is the democratic process.
Everyone is entitled to the benefit of the doubt - especially if they can learn from their mistakes.
The great George Bernard Shaw was, early on, an admirer of Mussolini's ability to make Italy's trains run on time. Acknowledged disenchantment set in when he learned of the destination of some of those trains.
One hopes these four councillors will come back to their senses, apologise to petitioners, and resume the functions of a responsive open-mindedness that allows local politics to be effective in a participant democracy.
Jay Kuten is an American-trained forensic psychiatrist who emigrated to New Zealand for the fly fishing. He spent 40 years comforting the afflicted and intends to spend the rest afflicting the comfortable
