Opinion: Where Council gets provincial

PAUL DAVIDSON

The author is a documentary filmmaker and heritage advocate.

I read last week’s Opinion piece from Evan Tuchinsky with much interest. It was a thoughtful look at how the Council works here in Marlborough, and the differences from where he came from just eight months earlier.

I came here 30 years ago, but like Evan was used to how politics was done in bigger places. I had always been intrigued by the political process, even being an Electorate Chairman for the Labour Party in the early eighties. Fortunately, I found a good therapist and was cured of that.

One thing we don’t get much of here is robust debate on significant issues. Having made submissions to Council over the years and observed the chamber in action, it’s fair to say there is usually more discussion over a thousand-dollar grant to the brass band than there is over a multimillion-dollar floss-up of the town centre.

I think this is especially common at Marlborough Council for several reasons.
Firstly, the people who get elected as Councillors don’t have to have any particular skills, qualifications, economics knowledge, political acumen or business experience, although sometimes we are lucky enough to get Councillors with such qualities.

In the smaller towns, it seems more important that they are just personally known as a “nice person” in the community. So, most of what they have to deal with as a new Councillor is way beyond any previous experience.

Secondly, all Council candidates tell you how they will represent your interests if you vote for them. But as soon as they are elected, they are given an intense indoctrination (called a “familiarisation workshop”) in which it is emphasized that their responsibility is now to Council and they must not do anything to put it at financial, legal or reputational risk.

They are especially warned about not criticizing any Council staff, lest they get upset and lodge a personal grievance claim – or worse. So, before long, Councillors start acting like a company board of directors rather than community advocates.

Thirdly, elected Councillors come and go, but Council staff stay on forever – especially in a small town. So, they know how to get what they want.

At the monthly Council meeting, staff prepare a bulky Order Paper with dozens of lengthy reports on a wide range of matters and place it before the elected Councillors. You have to be very smart or very dedicated to wade through it all. But staff know the game, and helpfully put a one-paragraph summary, some options and their recommendation on the first page of each item report.

And most Councillors don’t get beyond that first page before the Chair will put the matter to the vote and they move on. I don’t blame them – but it doesn’t always make for good decisions.

And if staff definitely do not want one particular option, they produce their trump card. They tell Councillors, “That option may require a rates increase.” That’s the kiss of death for any idea – even if it’s not true.

I’m looking for a new Sir Humphrey to star in my upcoming Marlborough mockumentary, “Yes Councillor.” It should be fun.