THIS newspaper has taken a strong stand against secrecy in our local councils.
It is our firm belief that elected local councillors and senior public servants should be accountable for their decisions and actions.
Unfortunately, there are worrying signs that some elected representatives believe that we should simply trust them to do the right thing. Their view is they should be allowed to conduct public business in private because, after all, they are doing it in our interests.
We disagree. This is not an attack on the character of our local politicians, it is about accountability. In a democracy checks and balances are vital.
Hawke's Bay Today recently sent a request under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act (LGOIMA) to the Hawke's Bay Regional Council for communications between some Hawke's Bay regional councillors on specific subjects related to council business, including the dam.