Ryan Bridge: The silence was deafening in our local elections

If the Coalition was looking for an endorsement of its rates cap idea, it got one over the weekend.

Of the 18 councils that hit ratepayers with double-digit hikes this year, 13 elected new mayors.

Newsroom had great coverage of the results. Tim Macindoe won in Hamilton. If the name sounds familiar — he’s a former National MP. Rates there rose 41% in three years. Go figure.

Voters aren’t stupid and should never be taken for granted.

Rates hikes are driving domestic inflation. Not only are you paying more to your council — they’re helping to keep interest rates higher.

It’s a double burn in the back pocket.

Our most important city councils — Auckland, Christchurch, and Hamilton — are now led by right-of-centre mayors.

The results speak for themselves. But the problem, of course, is the sample size.

Seventy percent of us didn’t bother voting.

Ask ten pundits why, and you’ll get ten different answers.

I think the problem is simple: the size and scope of local government is out of control.

In a small Pacific island nation at the bottom of the world, we just elected 1,500 people to sit on 78 different councils. Mayors are just one vote at the table — they’re not really that special.

Low turnout isn’t a rejection of the candidates. It’s a rejection of the system.

It’s too big. Too much compromise. Too many meetings, committees, and club sandwiches.

If the Coalition listens to the 30% who did vote and caps rates, they should also listen to the overwhelming silent majority who didn’t.

That means throwing entire councils in the bin. Halve the number of councillors. Give the mayor a veto vote so there’s accountability and a vision to vote for.

The lowest voter turnout in 36 years is a mandate for change — and change looks like a giant local government bonfire.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
If the Coalition was looking for an endorsement of its
rates cap idea, then they got it. At the weekend
of the eighteen councils that whacked ratepayers will double digit
hikes this year, thirteen elected new mayors thirteen of the
eighteen high taxing council mayors. Gone newsroom has great coverage
of the results over the weekend. I don't know if

(00:21):
you saw that, but Mackindo won Hamilton. If the name
sounds familiar to you, he's a former national MP. Rates
rowse there forty one percent in three years, so go figure.
Voters aren't stupid and they should never be taken for granted.
Rates hikes are driving domestic inflation. We know this. Not
only do you pay more to your council, you also

(00:43):
pay more in interest rates because it helps keep them higher.
It's a double burn in the back pocket and voters
know this. Ratepayers know this, and next to your taxpayers
will remember it. Our most important city councils in Auckland,
christ Church and Hamilton Sorry Wellington, are now led by
right of center me The results speak for themselves, but

(01:03):
their problem, of course, is that these results are a
very small sample size. Seventy percent of us roughly didn't
bother voting, and you can ask ten pundits why and
you will get ten different answers. But I think the
problem is pretty simple. The size and scope of local
government is completely out of control. In a small Pacific

(01:23):
island nation at the bottom of the world. We just
elected fifteen hundred people to sit around on seventy eight
different councils. Mayors are one vote at the table, so
they aren't really that special. Low turnout is not a
rejection of the candidates. I don't think it's a rejection
of the whole system. It's too big, there's too much compromise.

(01:47):
It's all who know, Dewey. If the coalition listens to
the thirty percent who did vote and caps rates, which
they are gonna do, they ought to listen to the
overwhelming silent majority who didn't means throwing entire councils I
think in the bin, chuck them in the rubbish. Have
the number of counselors that remain and give the mayor

(02:09):
a veto power vote so there's actually accountability and there's
a vision and something worth voting for. The lowest voter
turnout in thirty six years is a mandate for change,
and change looks like a giant local government bonfire. For
more from Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, Listen live to
News Talks at B from five am weekdays, or follow

(02:31):
the podcast on iHeartRadio