‘Concessions’ amid tussle to decide who leads what at council
Some ‘‘concessions’’ have been made on the membership of regional council committees but critics of chairperson Pamela Storey are still not entirely satisfied.
At Thursday’s hui, Storey was forced to defend herself against accusations of trying to ‘‘stack’’ key committees with a majority of her supporters during voting on the council’s governance structure.
She strongly denied ‘‘stacking’’, saying her recommendations for committee membership were based on workshop discussions and chats with councillors.
The dispute follows a meeting last month where a 7-7 split emerged between those supporting Storey as chair against councillor Stu Kneebone. She won by having her name pulled from a hat.
Deputy chairperson Bruce Clarkson and councillor Noel Smith were strongly critical of her alleged stacking approach, with Clarkson claiming the recommendations were ‘‘a device to ensure control’’. But, during subsequent discussions, members of the team that voted against her leadership were able to get some ‘‘concessions’’ over membership of key ‘‘discretionary’’ committees, Kneebone said yesterday.
For example, the integrated catchment management committee had been increased in size with Kneebone supporter Tipa Mahuta put on it, he said. But Kneebone remained concerned at the general approach taken by Storey and her supporters.
‘‘We got a few concessions but the chair has maintained her majority of supporters on every committee.’’
A Stuff review of resolutions from Thursday’s hui confirms that’s the case for three significant ‘‘discretionary’’ committees: the integrated catchment management, strategy and policy, and environmental performance.
Kneebone supporters currently have a majority on the finance and services committee and there is equality of representation on a number of others. But Clarkson points out this doesn’t take into account appointments that are due to be made in future which could change the balance, and Smith’s understanding is the chair is due to sit on discretionary committees too.
Meanwhile, the upcoming selection of chairs and deputy chairs by committees could help cement the chair’s ‘‘control’’ over proceedings by her supporters, Kneebone said. On the ideal of all councillors being able to participate equally in council business regardless of their allegiance, he said: ‘‘That lies with whether the chair is prepared to change her stance and rebuild the confidence of all the council.’’
Clarkson felt ‘‘there were definitely some promising signs’’ in the way memberships of various committees were settled on Thursday, including better representation for Mā ori and women on some.
Smith agreed concessions had been made by ‘‘the other side of the table’’ and he would try to build bridges between the two blocs. But appointments still didn’t necessarily reflect the skills of all councillors and Storey and her team continued to dominate key committees. Storey was unavailable by this article’s deadline for further comment.