7000 People Can't be Wrong!

On Saturday the results of the Wanganui Local Body Elections became known. The incumbent Mayor had secured 10,000 votes to John Martin's 7000. No landslide, no whitewash, but a win all the same.

Being with John Martin and a group of 50 or so supporters at St.Andrews Hall when the result was announced, was a sobering experience, only made bearable by the composure and magnanimity of John Martin himself. Even as he headed off to conceed to an apparently sombre Vision cabal and Mayor, he exuded the dignity and courage, that we and 7000 others voted for.
What was evident in the room was a strong sense of pride, in the campaign and the candidate and purpose in the minds of everyone assembled there.

We had fought a strong, creative and positive campaign. John gained more votes than last time and the mayoralty, was bestowed back into the hands of the incumbent with only approx 30% of the elligible voting populations backing. Visions un-democratic majority in the Council Chamber was reduced and the playing field levelled a little bit more.

The big job is still ahead. The way local politics is conducted in Wanganui has been changed. We had a strong candidate with some strong allies and strong support, yet it was not enough against a corporate political machine, fielding a Mayor, 10 councillors and a Health Board party . If this was business, we would have called in the monopolies commission!

Over the next 3 years, we, the 7000 need to get more involved. We need to sit on committees, attend meetings, write to the paper, make submissions to the annual plan, challenge Vision and support our independent voices inside and outside Council. More than anything we need more strong independent candidates to step forward for every by-election and the next election, because the best way to change things is from inside the room where decisions are made, not outside the room protesting against decisions already decided.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank John Martin for standing up to be counted and wearing the hopes and aspirations of so many, so well.

For he's a jolly good fellow and so say all of us...