Jo Raphael: Our local elections need lively debate, discussion and competition

More people should run in local body elections, writes Jo Raphael. Photo / File

OPINION

Tomorrow, we will know for certain who is standing in the local body elections when the list of candidates is finalised.

Some of these people will be successful, taking up the enormous mantle of responsibility of upholding local democracy.

Some will be disappointed - such are the highs and lows of politics.

In my view, a successful candidate in any local political role must possess a number of attributes and characteristics.

This includes honesty.

They must be thick-skinned. To be successful in the world of politics, they must roll with the punches.

As politicians, they will be held up to a higher level of scrutiny and criticism and they must be okay with that.

And there will be lots of scrutiny and criticism - they will need to understand from the outset that they can't please everyone.

Those who are displeased will be vocal.

In my view, candidates should have some experience of living and working in their constituencies.

They will need integrity - if they say they are going to do something, then they need to do it.

They need to be willing to listen to their constituents - and act on it.

From looking at the list of candidates as of Monday there seem to be some hotly contested constituencies while others seem set to be elected unopposed.

For example, seven have put their names forward for the Rotorua mayoralty while it looks as though Kawerau's current deputy mayor Faylene Tunui will get the top job just by putting her hand up for it.

In the Whakatāne district, six seats are required for the Tāneatua Community Board yet there are only four candidates.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council's Kōhi Māori constituency has one vacancy and one candidate.

Rotorua Lakes and Rural community boards each have four vacancies and four names so far.

Several seats look as though they may be filled this way.

This worries me a little. I like when there is a robust field of candidates to choose from. It means debate, discussion and competition.

Voters should have the benefit of deciding why they like one candidate over another.

It's a foundation of democracy.

If a seat is elected unopposed, I feel like we're missing out on something.

It seems somehow wrong to me that an elected position could be filled by the mere virtue of someone putting their hand up.

Not enough people are willing to run and this should change.

I'm looking forward to this cycle of local body elections - it looks set to be an exciting race in some seats - and it's our job to put the right people in power.