Midweek Editorial: Flying on a whinge and a prayer

Opinion

When democracy fails, one can always resort to bullying via litigation.

It seems ironic that the letter complaining about the council prayer branded it a waste of ratepayers' time. But the mess it has created has wasted more time than the saying of the prayer many hundreds of thousands of times over.

It's certainly not about freedom of religion, or, in this case, freedom of atheism. It's a politically correct stunt to draw attention to the protagonists while pretending to represent the Wanganui citizens who have no god.

The Wanganui District Council took a vote on the issue - and that should have been the end of it, as is the case with all council votes and resolutions. But no, democracy is not good enough in this case. Mr Solomon, allegedly in the name of the one and only complainant, has to challenge even the premise by which we govern this country: one person, one vote. It appears the grandstanding councillor wants more than his fair share of democracy and plans to take it to the courts, where medieval rules still govern the decision-making.

Much has been said about the councillor's standing as a New Zealand citizen, so why is he importing methods of another culture to settle something that's none of his business any more, now that a majority vote has settled the issue? We're not litigators. We don't threaten with high-priced lawyers when we don't get our way. We don't get petulant and say the game isn't fair just because we didn't win. These are tactics brought in from an old regime where democracy was just an archaic Greek word of no significance.

One has to wonder what Mr Solomon was thinking when he ran as a candidate for council. First, he evidently never bothered to attend a council meeting beforehand, so had no idea what he was standing for, or that a prayer was part of the procedure; and second, whom was he intending to represent when he got elected? Himself? One disgruntled ratepayer? Methinks the councillor misunderstands the purpose of his role.

Firstly, a councillor is expected to attend meetings, contribute to the discussions and make a positive difference for the people who voted him in. The councillor has failed on all counts. All he has brought to the council table is one negative, divisive issue, and wasted the resources of a once respected body of citizens.

If the councillor bothered to read reports from newspapers around the country, or even thought to seek opinion from those who voted him in, expecting intelligent and informed performance, he would realize that his actions (on behalf of the writer of one letter - and it wasn't even addressed to him!) have diminished the standing of Wanganui in the eyes of most of the broader community. We are a place where we waste time and resources to satisfy the pedantic nit-pickings of one. If Cr Solomon feels let down by the democratic process, perhaps he can push for a referendum, a la the previous administration, and see what Wanganui really thinks. Or failing that, put his principles to the test at the next council election and see if he retains his seat. Because I'm thinking most of the good citizens of this town have had a gutsful of the whole, miserable issue. Those who voted for the good doctor, expecting a gifted performance and able contribution to council, must be sorely disappointed.

And, although there are prayer opponents who make their feelings heard via various media, prior to Cr Solomon hopping on his high horse, they said nary a word about it, and let our elected representatives just get on with the job. So thanks, mate, for shaking up this tea cup and giving us one very wasteful storm. This is indeed an ill wind, for no good will come of it at all.

Feedback - paul.brooks@wanganuichronicle.co.nz, read Midweek