Single-issue pair stand for ILT referendum

Licensing reform is the platform for two single-issue candidates in the upcoming local body elections.

Steve Nally is standing for the Invercargill Licensing Trust (ILT) and Alton McDonald for the Invercargill City Council.

Both are seeking votes tightly targeted to one question: Does Invercargill want a referendum on licensing trust control?

Nally was head brewer and managing director of Invercargill Brewery for 18 years before it went into receivership in March last year.

McDonald is a co-organiser of Waikawa’s Niagara Falls Bluegrass Festival, now in its 13th year.

The licensing trust structure was a conversation the city hadn’t had for 75 years, Nally said.

‘‘No-one my age or younger has ever had a say on whether they want a trust or not.’’

By law it takes a petition of 15 per cent of registered trust voters to trigger a citizens-initiated referendum, but Nally said if he achieved 15 per cent of the vote he believed the ILT board would take that seriously.

‘‘This is a really cheap and cheerful way for the people of Invercargill to say yes, if they want the pros and cons of licensing trust control debated. If they don’t, we’ll have managed to establish that with a minimum of cost. If they do, we’ll be mandated to start that discussion.’’

McDonald said the city and trust boundaries no longer matched, which meant 10,000 Invercargill people had no representation on the trust. The pair were asking those outside the trust zone to vote for McDonald on the city council, and those inside it to vote for them both.

They would not be answering questions or formulating policy on any other issues.

ILT chief executive Chris Ramsay, when asked for comment, said: ‘‘We respect the democratic process, as it has always resulted in an ILT board that is made up of committed, proactive and communityminded Invercargill residents.’’

‘‘No-one my age or younger has ever had a say on whether they want a [licensing] trust or not.’’ Steve Nally