Post in Guest Speakers

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bob Parker" <<email obscured>>
To: "Canterbury Public Issues Forum"
<<email obscured>>
Sent: Monday, June 18, 2007 12:18 PM
Subject: Re: [Canterbury Issues] Guest Speakers


> Hi Andrew, you are certainly burning the midnight oil!(post at 1.55am! I'm
> impressed even taking into account the time difference between here and
> Queensland)
>
> I take your points regarding the issue of financial support for campaigns.
> It is a sensitive area, the “Hollow Men” being one example of pitfalls to
> be avoided, and as the Labour Party discovered prior to the Phillip Field
> saga (another issue surrounding political transparency), there is also the
> potential for the alleged abuse of taxpayer funds by political parties in
> office – in this case the funding of the PM’s pledge card.
>
> However I think that there is an area where you may be missing the point.
> I am not raising funds for a political party. Whether I was funded by Al
> Gore or George Bush, a union or a corporate, as mayor I would still be
> only one vote on the Council.
>
> Thus I can offer the comfort that I am not seeking funding for a political
> group that itself seeks, for example, to dominate the council and to push
> through its own pre-determined policies. In fact I find that approach out
> of date, and out of step, with both the new Act of Parliament that
> controls local government and real needs of Christchurch residents.
>
> The inevitable reality is I will probably receive donations from a mix of
> people from across the political and social spectrums. One will be me.
> Some will be friends and family, some will know me from my 14 years in
> Local Government and believe I will do a good job. Others will feel, as I
> do, that a mayoral candidate that is not beholding to a party political
> machine may in fact be in the best interests of our City.
>
> If voters want  “clues about the thinking of candidates” then they simply
> have to ask.
>
> You also wrote:
>
> “I very much hope that as one of the leading candidates for mayor you will
> be able to inform all voters about your priorities regardless of whether
> they have donated to your campaign! “
>
> I completely agree, and surely this is the point of a campaign is it not?
>
> I will soon have a web-site up and running, and will use a number of other
> media to further inform people of my values and priorities. This
> discussion itself is part of that open approach.
>
> Many thanks for your considered thoughts,
> Bob Parker.
>
> Bob Parker
> Central city and Akaroa, CCC
> Info about Bob Parker: http://forums.e-democracy.org/contacts/parkerbob
>
> This topic's messages may be viewed at:
> http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/lSteAnKaH8iS9IcHoEHS6
> -----------------------------------------
>  DON'T FORGET TO FILL OUT OUR SURVEY: http://e-democracy.org/blog/posts/97
> (before June 22)
>
>  To post, send your message to: <email obscured>
>  To leave or for daily digest, type "unsubscribe" or "digest on,"
>  in subject line and send to: <email obscured>
>
>  More info about Canterbury Public Issues Forum:
>  http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/canterburyissues
>
>  E-Democracy.Org rules: http://e-democracy.org/rules
> -----------------------------------------
> Technical assistance thanks to our friends at http://OnlineGroups.Net