Appointment today of unknown unelected representatives to have voting rights on two Council decision-making Standing Committees!
Democracy denied by Deputy Mayor Garey saying that “Democracy came from a slave state – Greece”, Cr Laufiso saying that she was “a Communist”, and Mayor Hawkins “The interests of minorities are never going to be served by a popular vote”.
Lee Vandervis 
Well said Lee, a good third of the people in this town back everything you say, so never doubt ya self ,….keep on fighting
Agree with you on this issue, Lee, but in these ‘politically correct’ times, a person has to be totally reckless to say so. Either that or think democracy is important enough to stand up for.
Notice that Public Forum looked ‘stacked’ and one speaker in favour more or less acknowledged that the Mayor had invited their groupto come and speak at Public Forum. A lack of transparency and impartiality on Mayor Hawkins’ part. I suspect this has happened before but, this time, the cat was well and truly out of the bag.
But credit due to Deputy Mayor Garey for upholding a Point of Order against the Mayor. I am pretty sure that’s a first for Dunedin – ever.
Democracy, or as near to is as is practical, is the most important principle western society has in my view.
Then I suppose you may be as worried as I am by this: https://democracyproject.nz/2021/06/30/elizabeth-rata-ethno-nationalism-or-democratic-nationalism-which-way-ahead-for-new-zealand/
New Zealand has lost so much in the last 2 generations, gone from a land of Good Keen people with the highest level of productivity in the OECD, to the passionless people now with the lowest OECD productivity. Materially, emotionally and spiritually we are being emaciated by underemployed new self-serving elites and bureaucracies.
Your link above clearly outlines the academic alternative to Democracy of ethno-nationalism now proposed.
Thank you.
And too much of a hot potato for ODT who have disallowed comments.
Revolutionaries always destroy, tear down, trample, “for the children”. We recognise more than ever their blatant salvation and lust for power. The trouble with minority rule, is that the minority who end up ruling, eventually, are the rich and powerful. The useful idiots are swept aside. Representative government is ploughed into the rubble. Hawkins, Maori, et al, will not last 10 seconds when faced with the mighty balrog hiding in the shadows.
How very trite and shallow is Deputy Mayor Garey saying that “Democracy came from a slave state – Greece. Yes it was and it achieved that level in the 6th century BC – and to be sure neither slaves or women were permitted to vote. But it took western culture a little longer to abolish slavery like about 2000 years, 1807 for Wilberforce England during which time Maori were still eating them. Oh and by the way, women didn’t get suffrage in the world until the late 19 century here in NZ,
So what is Garey’s point. Just mouth flapping. We have good reason to be concerned about the diminished level of democracy in N.Z. given central government’s determination to end it. But it hits home badly when our very own local body fails to recognize it.