Democracy HQ A personal view, by Councillor Steve Morris

Last week, you may have read the Rogers Rabbits editorial ‘On the edge of extinction' in The Weekend Sun, March 18 edition, page 2. Rogers writes about Nanaia Mahuta taking your right to vote away and her announcement in front of a carefully-selected audience. He says: 'The wise fools amongst us who still think we can save democracy should be asking whether the list of the blessed invited also matches the list of those receiving funds from the city coffers in Tauranga's Long Term Plan?” Well, surprise, surprise, yes, it does!

You may have heard the phrase ‘rent-a-crowd'. In the UK, there are companies that provide crowds for events or shop openings to make them look busier. They'll organise a crowd for a political demonstration or even at a party to make you look more popular than you are – all for a fee, of course. You can earn £40 an hour by simply being part of a crowd.

However, at Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta's announcement of ‘Tauranga City Council's Commissioners to be appointed beyond 2022', a number of attendees were paid substantially more than £40 by the ratepayer.

A daily newspaper published quotes from so-called community leaders but failed to disclose that two of them are on the Tauranga City Council payroll. Neither did they declare that an ‘environmental advocate' is chair of a trust that recently received $50,000 from ratepayers. Finally, don't forget Priority One, which receives more than $1 million annually from ratepayers; they had their congratulatory press release ready to go straight after the announcement.

The announcement was made, and the small group of guests were satisfied – back slaps all around. I will forever be amazed at how one small group of Tauranga residents, albeit council beneficiaries, can celebrate the rights of other Tauranga residents being extinguished with such glee.

The influential and powerful in our city have always had their say. A well-worn track up to the council chief executive's office is a testament to that. However, for the average citizen or the poor couple in Gate Pa, who live week-to-week on a pension – their vote was their only power, the ballot box their only influence. Now that has been taken from them, they've been sold out by a handful of their fellow residents.

All this begs the question. Should organisations that don't want ratepayers to vote be recipients of ratepayer money?