Editorial: 'Tit for tat' politics can handicap democracy

I vividly remember visiting Parliament's debating chamber as a child, mainly because I left shocked and disillusioned.

Were these really how the people running our country behaved? Petty arguing and tossing names at each other when there was a country to be run?

As I told my mother, they were like a bunch of squabbling kindergarten kids.
While I am not comparing the Rotorua Lakes Council to a pack of kindergarteners, that experience sprang to mind this week.

The latest arguing, accusations and "tit for tat" between council members over the Te Arawa Partnership Proposal - while it may make for great headlines - has the potential to become a cause for concern.
Especially if, as deputy mayor Dave Donaldson claimed in an email to his fellow councillors this week, public comments by councillors are jeopardising a possible Maori TV move to the city. The councillors in question fervently deny this and have called for Mr Donaldson to retract his "threatening" email.

Whatever the situation with Maori TV, a council at war with itself or a council viewed as being "anti-iwi" is not a good look for any outside corporation looking at Rotorua as a relocation option.

Yes, citizens expect councillors to stand up for what they believe and be clear about what that is.

Among the 13 council members (including the mayor) there are some fundamentally opposed views and values, which is all well and good if those views are expressed professionally and listened to with respect.

But is there a point at which constant point-scoring and oneupmanship begins to work against the best interests of the city?

Mr Donaldson has expressed concern public confidence in the council is being undermined by public statements by councillors. He speaks of a "perceived rift" within the council and how this is disappointing citizens.

Regardless of who's right and who's wrong - and the answer is probably grey rather than black or white - residents are entitled to have their elected representatives conduct themselves with dignity and put the city first.

Public engagement in council activities has been high in recent months, with a number of big projects on the go.

But that could just as quickly turn to frustration and alienation if local politics starts to become more about the personalities than the issues.