Former Invercargill City Councillor Wayne Harpur believes it is time for Councillors to stop their infighting and sniping through the media and literally put their money where their mouth is.
Mr Harpur, who is going to stand in the by-election for the seat vacated by Toni Biddle, said Councillors should stand down en masse to allow the ratepayers to decide if they have a mandate for their current behaviour.
“Other than attacking the Mayor and each other and behaving atrociously, I and others cannot see what most of the current Council are doing to earn their not-insignificant salaries,” Mr Harpur said.
“The Council has annual expenditure exceeding $100 million per annum. Instead of having oversight and governance of this, Councillors seem more concerned with commenting on the Mayor’s mental state – something which none of them have any professional ability to do.”
Mr Harpur said ratepayers had to foot the bill for one by-election, and it would cost no more to have a by-election for every seat around the Council table.
“Invercargill is at a crossroads, but the current Councillors are more backseat drivers rather than taking the wheel of progress to move the City forward. Under investigation by the Department of Internal Affairs, it’s time for them all to take responsibility for their behaviour and stand down. If the people of Invercargill want them back, then they will vote them back in.”
Mr Harpur said he did not believe Councillors would support his proposal as their self-interest overrode any obligation to ratepayers.
“I don’t believe any of them have the gumption to do this.”
Mr Harpur said Invercargill needed leadership – but it was wrong just to leave this to the Mayor. “Everyone around that table needs to shoulder some of the load to make Invercargill work,” he said.
COUNCIL MEETING (Public Forum)
27 October 2020
By Wayne Harpur
1.0 GOVERNANCE (OR LACK THEREOF)
i. The DIA letter dated 18th August 2020 was sent following a raft of
negative media reports and letters sent to both the DIA and the Minister,
ii. Since then many incumbent councillors have been even more overtly
critical of the performance of the Council, the Mayor and the CEO,
iii. You still have unresolved Code of Conduct complaints,
iv. Social Media is rife with negative comments of your lack of performance,
v. Bodies such as the Chamber of Commerce have been critical of your
performance,
vi. Deputy Mayor Biddle ultimately resigned from what she called a “TOXIC”
environment.
vii. In my opinion this all indicates a further deterioration in Governance and
for that matter Managerial performance at the Invercargill City Council,
1.1 SUMMARY
i. Cr Biddle’s resignation necessitates a By-election,
ii. It costs no more to run a By-election for 1 vacancy or 12 vacancies,
iii. If you are convinced you have the moral high ground then prove it,
iv. If you are convinced you have maintained support of ratepayers then
prove it,
v. Resign and stand again to revalidate your mandate.
1.2 PROPOSITION
i. I hereby formally encourage each and every member of the Invercargill
City Council to do the honourable thing and resign forthwith, this will
allow for the upcoming by-election to either, revalidate your mandate or
see you replaced by councillors who can work together to take our city
forward.