What Dotty Did. Or didn't do.

With Michael Laws busy officiating at the birth of his latest offspring the reins have been handed to Deputy Mayor Dot McKinnon.

And thus dawns a new era of enlightened and inclusive democracy in Wanganui, wherein citizens of all hues and with differing viewpoints are welcomed and respected, where Council meetings are places where issues are freely debated and decisions reached in the best interests of the town across party lines, and the citizenry's hard-earned dollars are carefully shepherded against the need for future infrastructure investment and not wasted on electoral baubles.

Or not.

We're certain that Deputy Dotty has a detailed set of instructions from the Mad Mayor, probably written in blood (whose, we can only guess at) on the back of an abusive email about peanuts. And, serendipity being what it is - there can be no other reason for the timing, surely - there aren't too many big decisions on the agenda during Mickey's abesence anyway.

But that doesn't mean Dotty can't break the mould, rock the boat, turn over a new leaf, or some other synonym for "decide to run things like a sane person would".

Mind you, the portents aren't exectly positive. From her weak excusing of Mayoral insult and intimidation at the Code of Conduct hearing - "it's not him, it's that other Michael Laws, the one who's not Mayor of Wanganui" - to her craven apologies for having to be his stand-in at many events he simply can't be bothered to attend (that being any at which the requisite number of cameras is not present) to her elbow-jerk performance at the Council table (that's like a knee-jerk reaction, only when your hand shoots skyward every time the Mayor gives you "the look") Dot McKinnon has been nothing more nor less than Mickey's chief enabler.

With the mantle officially bestowed upon her while the Mayor is away ensuring that his reproductive prowess justifies further endless repetition in women's magazines and his own newspaper columns, Dotty could opt to make a few changes.

Sure, there are limits to what she could do. Tearing up plans for the Splash Centre extension probably wouldn't go unnoticed, for instance. But what about simply honouring some of diVision's election pledges?

Like the "main street" Mayoral office, for instance, offering citizens free and unfettered access to their First Citizen.

Like the democracy policy, which promised not only occasional referenda but real consultation. A good start might be following the lead of other Councils and giving people a right to speak and ask questions at the commencement of each full Council meeting.

Like commissioning someone independent to compile a proper and balanced explanation of the advantages and disadvantages of the next batch of Mad Mayoral referendum questions.

Like setting herself up behind a trestle table in a shopping centre and exposing herself to the real opinions of Wanganui people, so she might actually represent them and not Mickey at the next Council meeting.

Yes, we imagine thoughts of a porcine airforce are filling your heads by now, Watchers. But nothing is impossible. Sometimes you just have to hurl the pig in the air, and it'll start flapping. Anyone who has suggestions as to what Dotty might do while Mickey is away can find her contact details on the Council website.

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