LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS & YOU
Horowhenua Grey Power has already held a “Meet the Candidates” for Mayoral candidates and Horizons Regional Council candidates. Each speaker was given seven minutes to make their pitch, particularly around our Age Friendly Communities strategy for the Mayoral candidates. What they had to say sounded good, but of course much of what happens comes back to the Council table. One of the interesting features of the afternoon came during the Q & A session. Every single question, yes every one, was about the state of our footpaths. We all acknowledge that many of our footpaths are in poor shape. A good budget must be set for the repair and replacement of damaged footpaths and this was spoken about by all three mayoral candidates.
The next meeting is for candidates for the Levin Ward, the Waiopehu Ward and the Horowhenua Maori Ward. Again, we have focussed on Age Friendly Communities.
One of the major issues that has arisen about candidates, promotions and electioneering, are the questions being raised about why people are putting themselves forward for election. Social media and mainstream media platforms are questioning candidates who have links to Voices for Freedom or VFF or the Freedom and Rights Coalition or TRFC. In some instances, candidates are being quizzed about those links and what and why they are standing for Council. Do the candidates wish to be at the Council table to support their community or are they standing, as some have said to disrupt the council and to cause divisions among the elected members?
In our democracy, everyone has a right to have a voice and to have an opinion. But to what extend do those rights and opinions impact on all of us? VFF are generally opposed to vaccinations, to masks, to the mandates imposed by Government and to other such policies. The people who support those views have a right to say them. But what are the consequences to their actions? Over recent months we have been encouraged and at times required to wear masks. We have been told that having that second booster gives us extra protection from COVID-19. Walking the streets of our communities it has been interesting to see how many of our seniors have complied with these requests. But even so, the virus has got through, putting people in hospital and in some cases being attributed to their deaths. The statistics around those who have died with direct links to COVID-19 are horrifying. Overall, there have been 1215 deaths directly linked to the virus. Of those, 1,170 are over the age of 60. Over the age of 70+ that number is 1,077.
It is all very well for the VFF and TRFC folk to demand personal freedoms away from Government interference, but who is it that suffers the consequences for lack of vaccinations and not wearing masks? That’s right – Us!
Before you lodge your vote on October 8th, please check. Is your chosen candidate/s an exponent or supporter of VFF or TRFC? What are their views on the wearing of masks or getting the vaccinations and the boosters? Are they standing to support the seniors in our community or are they doing so to be disruptive? They are standing for public office and need to be transparent. So ask them!