Opinion
Here on the streets of Tokyo, the hype and energy surrounding the Rugby World Cup is infectious. I’m here as part of the Japan team’s medical and physiotherapy contingent, making the team as game ready as they can be.
The mentality of game-ready is a skill I’ve spend year refining and is applicable across all areas of life. Although I’m not in Invercargill right now, my hometown is at the forefront of my mind because heading into the election, we all need to be game-ready.
Being game ready means you’re able to face challenges head-on. And this is what our city needs. We need to have people who sit in positions of authority ready to make the right decisions, having listened to the people’s needs.
I feel so fortunate to have a professional career which allows me to travel the world and play a role in significant events, like to RWC. But it’s only because of the opportunities I was afforded in Invercargill which has allowed me to get here. I want to return the favour and make Invercargill the best it can be.
So what started my interest in local politics and why am I running for ILT? To be honest I genuinely think we can do a lot more. I’ve seen how hospitality is delivered all over the world in a variety of cultures, and it can really make or break an experience of a region. I want to see Invercargill bustling; I want our offering to be market-led; I want my kids to want to come home and be proud of where they’re from. How am I going to achieve this? I will listen to the people, I am principle led, I work hard, and I want to hear and act on the needs of the people.? I really think we can do more to make Invercargill the best place to live and work.
Right now, we are heavily investing in our city; we want the entertainment and night-time offering to match what we already know is a wonderful city. I feel our ILT board needs to be truly engaged. I don’t profess to know it all, but I do know we need to listen to the community. We can’t do more if we don’t know what people want.
I will work hard. I want ILT to maximise profits so we can have successful, well-funded community groups organisations and assets. I genuinely believe we are so fortunate to have ILT here in Invercargill, returning its funds straight back into the local community. It does so much to help the region thrive; I want to work hard and listen to our community.
We can do more – vote Karl McDonald for ILT.
Authorised by Karl McDonald, Invercargill.