The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Opinion: Give me the local government I deserve

Federated Farmers Hawke’s Bay provincial president Jim Galloway
The Country·
23 Apr, 2019 02:30 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Federated Farmers Hawke's Bay provincial president Jim Galloway. Photo / Supplied

Federated Farmers Hawke's Bay provincial president Jim Galloway. Photo / Supplied

Comment: If you have ever wanted to make your mark in a positive and constructive way, please consider standing in the local body elections writes Federated Farmers Hawke's Bay provincial president Jim Galloway.

When I cast a vote, I have never felt as though doves are released - that I'm taking part in anything extra special.

But I know that it is an important right and privilege of being part of a democratic society - we can have input into how we are governed.

This October we all get to cast votes for our local and regional councils.

Please, if you are a decent person who understands how important business and communities are, consider standing for election.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

It is safe to say that we need better representation than we are getting. You can tell that by voter numbers.

People have become either apathetic or think their vote at a local council level means little or nothing.

It is why people do not vote. Which is a shame because when people become disengaged with their local governance teams they lose control over their district's present and future – couple that with the well-documented demise of local council reporters and our democracies are in danger.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Council election turnouts have been falling since the 1980s, and for most areas are now well under 50 per cent.

Read more from Federated Farmers here.

This year a campaign is underway to get more people involved in their democracies.

The goal of #Vote2019NZ is to ensure for the first time in nearly two decades, local government will be elected by a majority of New Zealanders.

Discover more

Opinion: Emissions tracker data shows up home truths

18 Apr 03:25 AM

Opinion: Infrastructure on West Coast needs addressing

22 Apr 10:51 PM

Opinion: Creating a sustainable future for wool

23 Apr 12:30 AM

Opinion: Pre-lamb shearing has its place in farming

23 Apr 02:00 AM

Can you believe that is an aspirational goal, to have more than 50 per cent of a population turn up and vote?

So if you are politically engaged, know how important business is, and you are aware that societies are best when people with a social conscious lead them, please stand for election this year.

We need strong and competent candidates so we have meaningful choices when voting.

We need elected officials brave enough to say yes and no to hard decisions. We need people who are able to pull up council staff on spending decisions. We need to have actual leaders in place that are not just representative of one section of society.

If you have ever wanted to make your mark in a positive and constructive way, please consider standing in the local body elections.

Save
    Share this article

Latest from The Country

Premium
The Country
|Updated

‘Sad situation’: Wattie’s tells longstanding growers their peaches are no longer needed

14 Sep 06:20 PM
The Country

Food rescue milestone: Northland charity delivers 1m tonnes to hungry homes

14 Sep 05:00 PM
The Country

Vege tips: Anyone for strawberry spinach?

13 Sep 05:05 PM

Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

Premium
Premium
‘Sad situation’: Wattie’s tells longstanding growers their peaches are no longer needed
The Country
|Updated

‘Sad situation’: Wattie’s tells longstanding growers their peaches are no longer needed

Wattie's appears to be reducing canned peaches from Hawke’s Bay, an industry leader says.

14 Sep 06:20 PM
Food rescue milestone: Northland charity delivers 1m tonnes to hungry homes
The Country

Food rescue milestone: Northland charity delivers 1m tonnes to hungry homes

14 Sep 05:00 PM
Vege tips: Anyone for strawberry spinach?
The Country

Vege tips: Anyone for strawberry spinach?

13 Sep 05:05 PM


Kiwi campaign keeps on giving
Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP