23 June 2025
On Tuesday 17 June, I spoke alongside fellow Letโs Go Taupล candidates ๐๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ ๐ช๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ, ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฎ ๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐ณ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ and ๐๐ป๐ป ๐ง๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฒ at Acacia Bay Community Hall. ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ ๐ช๐ถ๐น๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด also joined us with a solid contribution, and ๐ง๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ฎ๐๐ป๐ต๐ฎ๐บ kept the evening on track as MC.
We had a good turnout with around 30 or so people who listened, asked thoughtful questions, and most of allโthey engaged.
My talk was about how I see Taupล District Council really works behind the scenes, and itโs not very pretty. I see rates keep going up not by accident, but because ๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ถ๐น ๐ฏ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐บ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐น๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐บ ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐ถ๐. Reports get buried, decisions are effectively made before the public meetings even happen, and anyone who asks questions or challenges a narrative is a problem to be shut down.
Thatโs not how democracy is meant to work, and I donโt believe the public is okay with it.
Here are the full talks – Duncan C (7:00) Rebecca S (31:15) Hope W (43:20) Ann T (50:20) and Pete W (1:03:50): here
My own transcript: here
I endorse Hope, Rebecca, and Ann because they also want to challenge the dysfunction we are all feeling. Their message says it well: ๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฉ๐ผ๐๐ฒ. ๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ. ๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐. And Pete also looks like he isnโt messing about either.
So letโs make sure this election is a turning point – the ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ผ๐น๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป that needs to happen.
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