Meet in the sandwich

Accepting the responsibilities that come with being an elected member, whilst simultaneously smearing the organisation to which you belong in the newspaper for cheap political points.

Lesson 1 in the Book of Politics According to Mickey, so little wonder that none other than our exalted representative on Horizons, Ms Leonie Brookhammer.

In an email to Chairman Garry Murfitt, Ms Brookhammer opined that Horizons was "extravagant" in providing lunch for Councillors (which was also shared amongst staff and even visitors) . Fair enough - perhaps (since we don't know whether we're talking pickled quails eggs or Scotch eggs it's a little hard to judge the level of alleged extravagance).

But in true Diva fashion, a copy of that email was cc'ed to the Chron, which ran the story on November 12 under the heading "No BYO lunches on the horizon". One can only speculate as to the Mayoress's intent in adding the Chron to her recipient list, but our money is on her hoping that just such a story would appear, causing embarrassment to fellow councillors, whom she clearly doesn't hold in high regard.

And we're not entirely sure what she thinks of some of her ratepayers, for many of whom, she said in the email lunch consisted of "two pieces of bread and an apple in a bag". What, no butter? Watchers were reminded of Monty Python's Four Yorkshiremen:

Man 1: "There were a hundred and sixty of us living in a small shoebox in the middle of the road".
Man 2: "Cardboard box?"
Man 1: "Aye."
Man 2: "You were lucky! We lived for three months in a brown paper bag in a septic tank. We used to have to get up at six o'clock in the morning, clean the bag, eat a crust of stale bread, go to work down mill for fourteen hours a day week in-week out!"
...and so on.

As the warm-up act at yesterday's "town hall meeting" she elaborated on her view of Horizons. Apologising for having to read from notes because... well because of a fascinating new medical condition that deserves to be the subject of papers in the medical journals.

Watchers figured the real reason was that the Diva had written the notes and told her to read them. When he finally appeared for about half an hour into the meeting (it was supposed to have started at noon but of course he had to get there from the radio studio) he apparently gesticulated from the back of the room for her to cease and desist and she did.

Meanwhile, in what was a somewhat disjointed speech for one that was being read from notes, she'd run on the interesting proposition that ratepayers in Gonville or Aramoho shouldn't have to contribute to flood prevention measures up country because they probably wouldn't be affected. Presumably if her and Michael ever get to run the entire country, only those who like fish will have to pay for the patrol of our exclusion zone; vegetarians will be exempted from that portion of their taxes that pay for MAF; and those of us who'd quite like to be invaded and thus rescued from rule by Mickey won't have to pay a cent towards the NZ Defence Force.

We've highlighted the relevant bits of what follows, but if you can manage reading through the entire thing it'll give those of you who were absent an idea of what it was like to actually be there. Mind-numbingly dull, in other words.

I don't normally speak from notes. I had an eye operation recently. I've got a problem with my eyes which is affecting my concentration, so if I refer to my notes, I do apologise.

When I was elected I had already been employed there for six months and I had a fair idea of what was going on at Horizons, and that's one of the reasons why I had chosen to stand. So after six months as an employee on the senior management team and after a year as a councillor, I thought it was time for me to speak my mind as to what I could see with the regional council. If I don't speak up now I think I risk becoming an apologist for the regional council and I refuse to do that. The regional council does not control what I say, just because I'm a (inaudible) doesn't mean that I'm employed by the council and I am answerable to nobody but you the ratepayers, certainly not to the council so when this comes out and I'm (inaudible) by the council, I make no apology for what I'm going to say.

And my opinion after a year is that the regional council is a waste of your money. That it is a layer of local government we don't need. The cost of providing some of the essential regional services, which there are some, could I think be met more efficiently and more effectively through district council officers, current staff, and the level of service that you have here. More and more I feel that Horizons are an unnecessary expensive cost to the ratepayers. We are funding activities like pest control in some areas but not in others, which are paid for by the council. I do feel that Horizons has become an (inaudible) an urban subsidy to the rural community.

Recently at Horizons we unveiled the sustainable land use initiative, which we effectively arranged to try and preserve some of the land which we are using unsustainably. The cost to us of using this land in that way means that the planting of trees for instance and the harvesting of those trees leaves the land more prone to slip away. When it does slip it ends up in rivers which costs more in terms flood control etc. An example of what your rates money goes on. It was prepared for a farmer to help him environmentally and sustainably manage his land. Now because Horizons do not have any legislative powers to enforce the environmental initiative, they need to provide what they call a carrot to incentive the farmer to follow this plan. This plan here cost $10,000 and it's for one farmer.

Because this is a prototype it is estimated that the cost of other plans will be between $5,000-$10,000. This plan, and it is a public document so you're quite entitled to see it, is so in-depth that it could actually be taken to a bank as a business plan and used to raise a loan. Now this was done by land management officers working at Horizons and it's your, ratepayers' money. The argument from Horizons is that we've heard that our economy is based on the rural sector, the rural sector needs subsidies from the urban ratepayer to keep them solvent. I think that in a time of user-pays, we should be looking much more towards those farmers. If they cannot manage their land environmentally sustainably and economically themselves, then it is not for the urban ratepayer to continue subsidising (inaudible).

Speaking to Michael recently, we talked about the fact there was no subsidy for the service sector which is the biggest employer in New Zealand and many people here are paid $10 an hour and yet there is no subsidy for those employers or those employees. (likewise the manufacturing industry). So why urban ratepayers should keep paying a subsidy for farmers is not acceptable. The argument that if a farmer manages his land more effectively he sees less erosion, which translates to less environmental impact in streams and riverbeds, which means less flood damage and more flood protection.

How, if you're living in Gonville or Aramoho, you can actually justify that your rate dollar is spent on those things, I think you'd have to have a very big paradigm shift to say, well I live in Peaks Rd so therefore I pay towards this farmer managing his land sustainably. And that's the benefit to me. Urban ratepayers are paying for these plans. I think if it's very important for farmers to manage their land sustainably, then we need some legislation at national government level to enforce the RMA rather than offering incentives. I don't know how many ratepayers here would be happy that their money is going to subsidise farming, which is effectively what it is. One of other things that worried me a lot is Lower Manawatu scheme. Cost is millions and millions of dollars but user pays won't work so whole catchment is going to pay. Discussion going on that increasing flooding due to global warming and all have part to play in that so every ratepayer should have to contribute...

I've been told to wrap it up (signals from the Diva at back of room)

Now this all sounds like resounding good stuff on the surface, if a little vague in the delivery. That is, till you realise that "every man for himself, and let the women and children drown" isn't a recipe for a civil society.

And until you ask a few questions like when, exactly, has Horizons said "our economy is based on the rural sector, the rural sector needs subsidies from the urban ratepayer to keep them solvent" (or words to that effect)? And why - if we accept that farmers can do what they like with the land that they own, just as any urban ratepayer can litter their garden with plaster gnomes and plastic flamingos - is it inappropriate for a Council to work alongside them to ensure that our waterways are protected from harmful run-off and the land from unnecessary erosion?

Regional councils may well be an unnecessary layer of government, but how many people would want Mickey and the gang to be responsible for "fresh air, clean water, productive land and natural ecosystems" including "flood protection, soil conservation, pest control and environmental monitoring and protection" when they can't budget properly for civic amenities? We'd be paddling up Guyton Street in a gondola while the Diva harangued us from the roof about how this was always part of his plan to make Wanganui "the Venice of the Southern hemisphere".

And until you realise that the criticism leveled at this "useless" and "wasteful" Council comes from it's least hardworking councillor.

Our observation is that Ms Brookhammer attends only the minimum number of meetings needed to ensure she meets her statutory obligations and stays away from workshops designed to explore things like environmental matters. She often sends an apology at the last possible moment or just doesn't show up.

Most notably, she failed to turn up for a Horizons visit to Wellington Regional Council recently despite saying she'd be there, thus leaving a paid-for hotel room vacant. Well, at least there were probably more cheese sandwiches left to share at lunchtime amongst those recklessly profligate councillors who actually showed up.

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