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Selwyn district councillor Elizabeth Mundt maintains her candidacy for New Zealand First is not influencing her council decisions.
The Ellesmere Ward councillor is standing as the party’s candidate in Selwyn for Saturday’s general election.
At a recent council meeting, Mundt opposed the Selwyn District Council seeking an exemption from the Government’s policy preventing unelected representatives from having voting rights.
All other councillors supported Mayor Lydia Gliddon and chief executive Steve Gibling preparing an exemption application, which will be put to a vote at the November 11 council meeting.
“I just think that we’ve had an indication from central Government to remove non-elected members from committees, and what we are asking to do is go completely against that directive,” Mundt said at the meeting.
But Gliddon countered: “That’s your viewpoint; they have asked us to apply for exemptions if we so wish to, so I don’t think they would have put that pathway forward if they didn’t intend to have it.”
Gliddon said there was no guarantee the application would be accepted.
Mundt responded: “That is true, but I just don’t feel the need to apply for the exemption because I agree with the directive.”
The change is due to take effect in March, but councils can apply for any required exemptions before November 18.
In Selwyn, the law change would prevent independent chair Bruce Gemmell and member Carol Bellette from voting on the council’s audit and risk subcommittee.
It would also remove the voting rights of Te Taumutu Rūnanga mana whenua representative Puamiria Parata-Goodall on council committees. Parata-Goodall does not have voting rights at full council meetings.
Mundt told Selwyn Times her position was “absolutely not” influenced by her candidacy for NZ First.
“I have said, and I will continue to say, that I am very much keeping my council decision-making very separate from campaigning for the party.
“Decision-making over the finances of council should be left to those who were elected to represent the community voice.”
Mundt said her view reflected the views of her community.
At the time, she told Selwyn Times her decision not to vote was a “personal choice” and not a result of being a candidate, but declined to elaborate.
Mundt believed the loss of voting rights would not affect the representatives’ ability to provide feedback at the council table.
“I actually think it works that they give guidance to the elected members to take heed of when they vote.”
Councillor Samuel Wilshire also asked the council’s legal team to double-check the wording of the legislation to establish whether an exemption was needed at all.
“I don’t want to ask for permission for something that we’ve already got permission for; otherwise, it is raising a head to be smacked,” he said.
- HAVE YOUR SAY: Should unelected representatives have council voting rights? Send your views in 200 words or less to daniel.alvey@alliedmedia.co.nz