In 1968 I stood for the Queenstown mayoralty for the first time, unseating incumbent George Cochrane by 348 votes to his 281.
I still have a copy of the speech I gave at the Queenstown Memorial Hall during that year’s campaign, much of which is still relevant today.
Here are some excerpts from that speech.
I believe that Queenstown will have greater growth and prosperity by the council and the people working together, rather than pushing things through, regardless.
I believe that the methods used in achieving results are important.
I feel that the attitude should be ‘how can the council help you’, rather than ‘you can’t beat City Hall’.
I believe we must establish harmonious conditions where councillors may bring forward new ideas and innovations and that, in your choice of a mayor, you are looking for a practical man, conscious of the need for competent management and with a full understanding of the human factor.
I do not present myself to you as the saving balm to Queenstown’s problems, because I sincerely feel that the future lies with a course of effective teamwork — and teamwork means progress.
Queenstown must go forward.
There are so many things to do.
There is no time for the timid or tired or for the red tape specialist.
The town needs men and women of action.
Men and women who will face the problems today and not defer them until tomorrow.
We face vital years ahead — the years which will determine the destiny of this town.
Most council problems are neither predictable or capable of immediate solution.
They arrive suddenly and often involve many hours of study and evaluation before decisions are made at the council table.
It is therefore impossible to predict the problems the new council will face or discuss.
Since any form of government is continuous, they cannot ignore the work of their predecessors and each councillor must acquaint himself with existing policies ... and must decide which policies should continue or be changed.
This first six months, incidentally, is the challenging period for the new councillor as, generally speaking, those of the old guard can’t believe that they should be challenged on past resolutions.
And this is also the period where teamwork must be established.
The individual right to dissent must be zealously guarded.
Personally, I favour the system of man-to-man talking — and the words I now use are teamwork; coordination, involvement and cooperation.
On many occasions, councils adopt the ‘close the door, fight from the inside’ attitude, which is not conducive to good councilling.
We must generate a good relationship between council and citizens.
It is important, too, that those you elect are straight shooters, and that through their strength of purpose your interests and welfare will be guarded.
Full communication is necessary between council and citizen.
During the past three years, great changes have taken place.
We are on the threshold of a new approach to our area’s problems.
We don’t want to stagnate in a tourist backwater.
We want to make our area surge ahead and I think that those who present themselves to serve in the public interest do so in a desire to contribute.
Together, we have the opportunity to take a step forward.
Warren Cooper was Queenstown’s mayor from 1968 to 1975 and again from 1995 to 2001
