Democracy HQ A personal view, by Councillor Steve Morris

The first rule in politics is don't tell lies. But that is precisely what some elected representatives around New Zealand are accusing Jacinda Ardern, Nanaia Mahuta and the rest of the Labour Cabinet of doing when it comes to Three Waters.

'A deceitful, lying pack of bastards” was the quote emblazoned on the front page of the Wairarapa Times-Age from Councillor Tina Nixon. A Canterbury Councillor expressed similar frustrations on RNZ, saying: 'To hypocritically tell us straight out lies… it was straight out untruth… I wouldn't trust them an inch now.”

Such comments have been overflowing in democratic council chambers throughout New Zealand.

These comments followed revelations that cabinet decided to force Three Waters on ratepayers months ago while rolling out a fake 'consultation” process.

Now it's been revealed the famously 'childish cartoons” that ran as part of the so-called 'consultation” were cut short. Why? Because they fell foul of Public Service Commission guidelines that require publically-funded ad campaigns to be accurate and unbiased!

The dishonesty is one thing, but what's worse is that through Three Waters, our irredeemably 'woke” government, obsessed with race, is seeking to abuse the Treaty of Waitangi and divide New Zealanders against each other.

It's time to put an end to this nonsense.

The Tauranga Ratepayers' Alliance has stepped up on behalf of the unrepresented ratepayers of our city and joined legal action against the Minister of Local Government, Nanaia Mahuta. The case is founded on solid legal advice that decisions on Three Waters were based on serious errors of law.

To stay up to date with the legal action and the arguments for it, visit: www.waterusers.org.nz