The Country 29/09/25: Jim Hopkins talks to Jamie Mackay

Why are we so disengaged with local body politics? We ask a rural raconteur for his take on it.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
I haven't caught up with this bloke for a week

(00:01):
while on the country. That's because I've been flat out
and he's been flat out kissing babies on street corners.
He is a candidate for the Waitaki District Council, but
because we're in the election campaign, I can't shamelessly promote
his candidacy. But Jim Hopkins candidate, what I can ask
you is this is why are we as a nation

(00:22):
so disengaged with local body politics when it's actually very
important to us? Because I'm thinking, for most of us,
the mortgage is the biggest expense, rates and powerbills and
insurance coming next, we've got a vested interest in getting
the right people in there.

Speaker 2 (00:38):
Well, you're absolutely right, And I mean, if you look
at the the popular support for a rates cap, I
think sixty four percent in that Taxpayer Union poll and
only about I think twenty eight percent were opposed to it,
it's quite clear that people. I mean, I believe a
rates cap is a popular move but very problematic for

(00:59):
a variety of reasons. But I mean it does indicate
that Yet You're right, that cluster of costs is really
critical to people at the moment, and I don't think
people are disengaged. In fact, if you look at social media,
there's a huge amount of victorol and venom aimed at
directed at council's up and down the country. I mean,

(01:22):
I think they are a lightning rod for everyone's free
range frustrations and hostilities and resentments.

Speaker 1 (01:28):
But I am on Jim, that's just social media, full
stop victoryol and venom, isn't it.

Speaker 2 (01:33):
Well, to some extent you could argue yes, I mean
I always think the anonymity of what social media makes
at cloud's corner. But what I'm saying the point is,
I don't think people are disengaged, but I don't think
the voting system is helping. And when I first stood
for council, I think we had about we were getting
something numbers and the responses voting numbers up under sixty percent,

(01:57):
still lower than central government elections, but quite last election
that was down to forty six percent. And it's increasingly
it's because more and more people don't have letterboxes. And
also New Zealand Posts is no longer the kind of
everyday delivery system. Where are the post boxes now? You

(02:18):
know so many of them have disappeared.

Speaker 1 (02:20):
Hey, Jim, I know what you're heading to here, online voting.
But the problem with that is as that not well,
Vladimir Putin's going to interrupt and he wants to disrupt
the Waiteki District elections.

Speaker 2 (02:31):
No, no, you're wrong. I'm not advocating online voting because
we haven't sorted that issue out. You're absolutely under twenty
percent correct. What I did suggest this year earlier this year,
and what I think other people are looking at, is
basically doing locally what we do in general elections, have
polling booths and so on. We did look at it,

(02:52):
and the problem really from our point of view, we
could have done a polling booth system here and others
could have as well, but the cost would have been
I think I have a feeling form memory there was
one hundred thousand dollars additional costs, and now that outstands
to be corrected. That's just a number that I think
I recall. But it was a very expensive alternative solution,

(03:17):
and in the end we I mean, you know, you
go back to that matter that people are worried about
more whige's rates, insurance and power bills, and you can't
commit to spending that amount of additional money. If you're
also responding to people who are saying you rate, we
don't want rate increases. We'll keep them as low as possible.

Speaker 1 (03:36):
I want to get one more past you if I can. Okay,
Guy Williams is having a crack at nitrate in water.
You want to have a crack at Guy Williams.

Speaker 2 (03:46):
I mean, look, first of all, I mean being somebody
born in Wymatty because me mum was there at the time,
and having endured Wimo jokes for a good period of
time throughout my adult life. I mean the sort of sniggering, supercilious,
smirking way he's sending people up there and taking advantage

(04:07):
of their naivety, and my view is just is bidious
and it's irritating. The thing that really annoys me. It's
allegedly comedy, but he's basically buying into the as that
one Scandinavian study that suggests that the may be a
link between nitrates and colo rectal cancer not endorsed by

(04:29):
the World Health Organization, which is basically said that its conclusion,
looking at all the studies that have been done, are
found no clear association between nitrate or nitrite and drinking
water and risk of cancer and the gesta in testinal
track non Hodgkin and foama tumors and sensul nivous system
you and retract tumors, thyroid cancer, breast cancer or pancreatic cancer.

(04:53):
But no, no, Mike Joyce, is that it's a problem.
It's causing tensors polluting not just the waterways in and
around way Matty, but nationwide. And Williams pedals as bollocks
without any attempt to actually produce balance, and using comedy
as an excuse for bias. He's just resurrecting all the

(05:18):
old dirty dairy diatribes that I would have thought the
dairy industry's current international sales and success should have long
since laid to rest. I mean for him and say,
where would we be as a nation if it weren't
for what Fonterra and other dairy companies were earning for

(05:41):
us around the world. I mean, we would be in a.

Speaker 1 (05:45):
We would be up a night treat creek without a pedal.
That's where we'd bench up a handison. I'm out of time.
Good luck in the election, Thanks mate, you go well.