Both Sides Now

Defining what the Treaty of Waitangi means to all of us collectively seems like the Mt Everest of tasks.

If disappointment is the gap that exists between expectation and reality, we are setting ourselves up for some serious disappointments.

Consultation by local councils and government is now an expensive waste of time and money.

It is no surprise that charter schools are on the agenda again.

As the government moves on from Three Waters it is time for a review of the nitty gritty of what actually happened in Otago under the proposal.

Suggestions for reducing rates so far have just been tinkering.

We need to be able to trust advice from public servants, particularly in local government where the systems can be less rigorous and the politicians less knowledgeable.

The Otago Regional Council continues to fight with the government about how to look after freshwater in Otago.

It is time we started holding organisations accountable for their role in the effects of natural disasters.

Imagine you have just won the lottery and $13.2 million has landed in your pockets.

The problem of not knowing what government departments are for is not because they have Māori names.

The Manuherikia river is many things to many people.

It seems to have been a year of dropping standards, difficulties with core government services and a feeling that we may have gone backwards.

You may think something that takes between a-third and a-half of council resources would be worth ratepayers having a say about.

Councils are increasingly tempted into trying to be virtuous on our account.

It is hardly surprising the incoming coalition partners all want to repeal the Three Waters reforms.

Democracy requires free and fair elections.

There are more important issues than whether there is money in the kitty for policies for the next government.