Attendance
What has [Clutha district] councillor Kevin Barron’s life story got to do with not attending meetings and, to boot, saying it didn’t matter if he didn’t turn up to meetings? (Attendance queried in meeting, Clutha Leader, Jun 29)
Question should be, does he now have any value at meetings anyway?
Brodie Dodds deserved to have her questions answered respectfully.
The gang of members on the Clutha Residents and Ratepayers Association is due for some young blood.
I cannot believe Brodie Dodds’ questions to Cr Barron were criticism; she asked questions that needed straight answers.
Thanks to Brodie Dodds for opening a can of worms. I’m sure she has a lot more to offer.
(Abbreviated — Ed)
Colin Giddens, Balclutha
Politicians usually understand that even the appearance of a conflict of interest can be fatally damaging to their reputation. Kevin Barron’s conflict of interest is flagrant.
He cannot present himself as a councillor and simultaneously hold position on the committee of an association charged supposedly with holding councillors to account.
That he cannot see this is astonishing.
The serious and persistent no-shows at council meetings in favour of his private business activities, jetting about overseas, and asserting that other councillors can manage easily without him comes across as arrogant, entitled, and unacceptable.
If the councillor cannot see fit to pick a role on one organisation and resign from the other, perhaps it is incumbent upon the CRRA to call a special meeting.
All effort should be employed to save the credibility of their association, by inviting/ forcing the councillor to resign.
They should also note that most of the resident and ratepayer associations around New Zealand that effect positive change in their communities, and have a society membership of more than 30 people, tend to have productive and professional relationships with council.
The CRRA currently appear to have none.
There is only one way forward to fix this in my view. It just might take introspection and courage.
Peta Dowle
Waitahuna
