1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:02,120 Speaker 1: Right, So what a weird old business the local body 2 00:00:02,160 --> 00:00:04,480 Speaker 1: boat turned out to be. As we sit here this morning, 3 00:00:04,559 --> 00:00:07,840 Speaker 1: turnout has been thirty two percent, which is down from 4 00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:10,080 Speaker 1: last time. Are the mara Ward part of the equation 5 00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:12,760 Speaker 1: twenty five of them? Scrap seventeen retains Sam Broughton as 6 00:00:12,760 --> 00:00:14,880 Speaker 1: the President of Local Government New Zealand and is with 7 00:00:15,040 --> 00:00:15,920 Speaker 1: us Sam, Morning. 8 00:00:15,680 --> 00:00:17,919 Speaker 2: To you, Good morning. 9 00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:20,439 Speaker 1: May any escaping that this gets worse every time we 10 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:22,040 Speaker 1: have a crack at democracy, It just gets more and 11 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:22,799 Speaker 1: more embarrassing. 12 00:00:24,079 --> 00:00:26,439 Speaker 2: It's hard, isn't it. It's a very very low turnout 13 00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:29,240 Speaker 2: again and we've been raising this with the government. Now 14 00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:31,800 Speaker 2: we've come up with some recommendations that we urgently need 15 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:35,519 Speaker 2: to be implemented by the next election because your democracy 16 00:00:35,560 --> 00:00:37,240 Speaker 2: deserves better than this sort of turnout. 17 00:00:37,479 --> 00:00:40,159 Speaker 1: What is a good turnout in your personal view? What 18 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:41,720 Speaker 1: would make it credible? 19 00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:44,479 Speaker 2: Well, we want to be above ethy, don't we. We 20 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:46,520 Speaker 2: want to think about as close to one hundred percent 21 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:49,159 Speaker 2: as we can. But we want people to participate. Some 22 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:51,080 Speaker 2: may choose not to. But if we look at central 23 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:53,360 Speaker 2: government elections, you know we're nearly getting double to turnout 24 00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:54,840 Speaker 2: and I think we should expect that for our local 25 00:00:54,880 --> 00:00:56,000 Speaker 2: government elections too. 26 00:00:56,200 --> 00:00:58,160 Speaker 1: From your body's point of view, what do you make 27 00:00:58,280 --> 00:01:00,880 Speaker 1: It's a move to the right in general, and people 28 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:03,800 Speaker 1: who slept on big rate increases got punished. Is that fair? 29 00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:07,959 Speaker 2: Yeah? I think the cost of living that everyone's feeling 30 00:01:07,959 --> 00:01:10,120 Speaker 2: the pinch of at the moment, and the situation that 31 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:13,080 Speaker 2: counsels are in with rising costs and few funding levers 32 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:15,920 Speaker 2: other than rates, certainly means that people have you know, 33 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:18,280 Speaker 2: looked at those rates increases and I think that has 34 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:21,039 Speaker 2: been been influential on these outcomes. 35 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:23,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, is your story and example of that? 36 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:27,240 Speaker 2: Yeah. I think certainly had larger than average rates increases 37 00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:29,080 Speaker 2: in the last couple of years. So you have to 38 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:31,000 Speaker 2: ask people individually why they voted the way they did. 39 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:32,200 Speaker 2: But I think that's part of the story here. 40 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:34,600 Speaker 1: Yes, And when you put those rate increases on for 41 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:37,000 Speaker 1: your area, did you go, JESU, this could cost me, 42 00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:39,600 Speaker 1: but it's worth it to me. Is that how that worked? 43 00:01:40,160 --> 00:01:42,840 Speaker 2: Yeah. You always know that it's going to hurt and 44 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:46,200 Speaker 2: that might take a personal toll, but it's the right 45 00:01:46,240 --> 00:01:48,120 Speaker 2: thing to do for me. It's saying we've got this 46 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:50,920 Speaker 2: long term infrastructure that needs last thirty to fifty to 47 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:53,680 Speaker 2: eighty years. We can't just keep passing the costs on 48 00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:55,880 Speaker 2: to our children. So yeah, that was part of my 49 00:01:55,960 --> 00:01:58,120 Speaker 2: decision making as as we set that stuff up for 50 00:01:58,480 --> 00:01:59,559 Speaker 2: the future of our district. 51 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 1: And what about the mari wards twenty five scrap seventeen retained, 52 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:03,680 Speaker 1: does that tell us anything? 53 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:08,000 Speaker 2: Well, algaein Zed's position was that, you know, we should 54 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:10,960 Speaker 2: be treating all wards equally and we didn't have referendum 55 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:13,360 Speaker 2: on rural awards or at large wards, but we have 56 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:15,320 Speaker 2: on Mold awards and we've got the outcome now. So 57 00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:18,040 Speaker 2: we'll work with our elected members to make sure we 58 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:20,720 Speaker 2: support everyone to get up to speed as they serve 59 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:23,000 Speaker 2: their communities through the next three years. And also those 60 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:25,280 Speaker 2: that are facing the end of the Maldi ward will 61 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:27,239 Speaker 2: particularly sport them through Timadawata. 62 00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:29,560 Speaker 1: Good stuff. Nice talk to you, Sam, Sam Broughton, who 63 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:31,880 Speaker 1: was the prison local government New Zealand. He was a 64 00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:34,119 Speaker 1: mayor of course if you didn't realize and lost his seat. 65 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 2: For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to 66 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:38,120 Speaker 2: news talks. 67 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:41,320 Speaker 1: It'd be from six am weekdays, or follow the podcast 68 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:42,239 Speaker 1: on iHeartRadio.