Ashburton mayoral candidates first face off falls flat
From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
Ashburton's two mayoral candidates faced off for the first time without a shot being fired.
Neil Brown and Jeff Swindley both attended Greypower’s meet the candidates event on Monday and while it was the first time the two candidates shared the stage there was no debate or exchange - just two candidates with different approaches.
Incumbent mayor Brown used the platform to outline how he has navigated a tumultuous first term, while Swindley’s first public appearance was an introduction that fell short on policy.
Swindley used his time to shed light on his background and reasons for standing but ran out of time to touch on any policy.
He said his decision to run for mayor was based on his opposition to the government’s “unlawful” traffic light system.
He said he has been a Christian for over 35 years “so my way of life has always been based on the bible”.
“When I see an injustice and things like that, I actually make a stand.”
He said he was “ridiculed by the community” for his open stance on the traffic light system.
“So I started my society and I got ridiculed for that, but all the time it’s about the community and where I stand in my walk as a Christian, as a businessman, as a father, as a husband.
“Integrity is what I stand on.”
Just as Swindley started to ramp up into some policy, talking about the “vast amount of legal acts that are coming down”, his time was up.
When his opponent had his turn, Brown rattled off his successes in what has been a troublesome first term as mayor dealing with the Covid pandemic, historic floods, and three waters reform.
He also touched on some highlights but said he hasn’t achieved anything on his own, leading the council as a team “to achieve prosperity for the district”.
Brown outlined the challenges that lay ahead for the council in the next term as completing the library and civic centre, Te Pātaka a kā Tuhituhi and Te Waharoa a Hine Paaka, contesting Three Waters reform, lobbying the government to fund the second urban bridge, and to do better with the roading network.
“I’ve proved capable, reliable and ready for challenges – whatever they are,” Brown said.
“Let’s keep going.”
* Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
Best way to use leftovers?
I'm sure you've got some excess ham at home or cold roast potatoes.
What are some of your favourite ways to use leftover food from Christmas day? Share below.
Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
Just a bit of a fun poll to get you thinking.
If you had to live out your Christmas days, would you prefer it was a summer Christmas or a winter Christmas?
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62.4% Summer
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36.2% Winter
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1.4% Other - I'll share below
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