Selwyn Council’s Unelected Voting Rights Decision Disappoints

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is criticising Selwyn District Council after councillors voted today to grant Te Taumutu Rūnanga speaking rights at council and voting rights on council committees.

Taxpayers’ Union Investigations Coordinator, Rhys Hurley, said:

“Democracy is simple. Those who were voted for should be the ones making the decisions. Councillors today have shown they’ve forgotten this basic principle.”

“Giving voting power on council committees to unelected, unaccountable representatives undermines accountability to the ratepayers who fund the council.”

“This doesn’t come free either. The appointed representative will be funded at the councillor rate of $73,628 per year, on top of the $300,000 the council already provides annually to each Rūnanga - all funded by ratepayers.”

“Decision-making power should rest only with councillors elected by the public. Ratepayers deserve to know that decisions about their money are made by people they can actually vote out.”