Being a regional councillor ‘very difficult’
DEPARTING Otago regional councillor Hilary Calvert said Environment Minister David Parker was looking to create an ‘‘Alice in Wonderland’’ type environment at the council where councillors only pretended they are really making decisions.
Being a regional councillor was a ‘‘very difficult task’’ for anyone who actually cared for democracy, and it was made more challenging by media looking for conflict and not being prepared to help the people of Otago understand the issues and the choices being made, Cr Calvert said yesterday.
The former Act New Zealand list MP, Dunedin city councillor and oneterm Otago regional councillor was one of two Dunedin constituency councillors who decided not to seek another term when nominations closed earlier this month.
Her colleague, seventerm veteran Cr Michael Deaker made it clear early on he was not planning on seeking another term.
On the other hand, Cr Calvert kept her decision to herself until after nominations closed this month.
Lately she has been at odds with what she calls the environment minister’s ‘‘interference’’ in council affairs.
Mr Parker has kept watch of the council since a 2019 investigation and report by Prof Peter Skelton prompted a series of deadlines for the council to meet in order to improve and get its plans in order.
Yesterday, Cr Calvert confirmed the minister’s oversight influenced her decision to walk away from the council, as did some of her colleagues’ responses to it.
A recently published report on a second investigation of the council by Prof Skelton earlier this year gave every impression that rather than believing in democracy, he believed in government by an elite of technical experts, or a ‘‘technocracy’’, she said — a philosophy some councillors bought into.
‘‘And so now . . . when the minister says ‘jump’, they just want to say ‘how high?’
‘‘When the staff say something, they just want to say ‘Have I got this right? Is this what you think we should do?’
‘‘That the minister thought this is appropriate and is prepared to remind us we can be replaced with commissioners if we displease him creates an Alice in Wonderland type of environment where we pretend we are making decisions having satisfied ourselves that our choice is the best option, whereas we are at risk of being fired if we challenge the advice of our staff,’’ Cr Calvert said.
Mr Parker has said he has no plans to remove councillors
However, Cr Calvert went on to say she was disappointed it was the ‘‘official line’’ of the Otago Daily Times that some councillors had been ‘‘dragging their feet’’ on a decision around an acceptable minimum flow for the Manuherikia River.
After life as a councillor, Cr Calvert said she would focus on family and travel.
‘‘Who knows, I might write the odd opinion piece for the ODT if I haven’t gone off it completely.
‘‘I will still harass you to write something about the Manuherikia.’’
❛ . . . creates an Alice in Wonderland type of environment where we pretend we are making decisions . . .