Opinion: The parking infringement and the puzzling meeting closed to media

I’ll take a more sober tone with this edition of the column.

Something that puzzled me recently was the attitude taken by the Rotary Club of Invercargill to local democracy.

The club ran a meet-the-mayoral-candidates event late last month and members of the public were invited, at a cost of $10 each, but media were excluded.

Given election campaigns are highly public for some very good reasons and that Rotary is normally a public-spirited organisation, I put some pressure on the club to explain its private-audience style of event.

I was also curious about the perceived value of such an event and club president Lisa-Maree Fleck provided a substantial response to questions.

She described the event as an in-person introduction to the candidates.

The format included an introduction from each candidate who attended. Questions were selected randomly by members of the audience and there was a time allocation for each question and candidate, she said.

Objectives included providing an "alternative platform to access information on candidates for people who don’t use social media, or may not source this kind of info online" or might not read newspapers.

Also, Rotarians could mix with non-Rotarians.

Lisa-Maree Fleck.

"This event was created as one pathway — an opportunity for a direct connection to candidates," Ms Fleck said.

I challenged the club to articulate in what ways the event served democracy.

"Encouraging informed decision-making and encouraging voting participation is supporting democracy," Ms Fleck said.

"Having a variety of event options, event formats [and] event sizes allows people to be able to choose how, when and in what format they access information they need for their decision-making.

"Rotary is an inclusive organisation; however, the event was limited in numbers due to capacity of the venue and to maintain health and safety measures.

"Event registrations were required to assist with managing the numbers to coincide with the capacity of the venue and for catering purposes."

Ms Fleck said candidates appreciated the opportunity to speak to "Rotarians, friends, family and the wider community".

Several commented that they found the evening helpful for their decision-making, she said.

Here’s what I think the club missed.

The candidates did not speak to the wider community. They spoke to a few members of the public.

The evening may well have been insightful for those who were there, but not for the broader public.

Of course, organisations can run private functions if they like.

The interests of some groups running candidate events may also be quite niche and, therefore, the appropriateness of media attendance is not a given.

However, Rotary ran a somewhat public-style event.

Candidates are not in a position where they can give undertakings to a small slice of the public that they are not prepared to share with the broader public.

— One helpful person pointed out to Dunedin mayoralty candidate Lee Vandervis his trailer was parked between two no-stopping signs on State Highway88.

Cr Vandervis thanked him for the heads-up.

"I have often seen vehicles parked there and did not notice the signage until you pointed it out," he said.

"Trailer now moved and I will be more vigilant in future."

— Dunedin city councillor Steve Walker was upset about an adjustment made by someone to one of his campaign signs.

He invited the culprit, whom he described as a bully and a coward, to "come to our house so you can tell me to my face, in front of my family" the insult directly.

— For anyone who wants to get a feel for Dunedin mayoralty candidates that goes beyond the printed word, I suggest watching their one-minute video pitches.

They are attached to their mayoral profiles on the Otago Daily Times website and were filmed when Channel 39 ran mayoralty debates last week.