Guest Speakers
From:
Andrew Doherty
Date:
2007 Jun 17 13:55 UTC
Short link
Dear Bob,
I am Andrew Doherty, although I don't currently live in Canterbury (I teach
Physics at the University of Queensland) I grew up in Christchurch and am a
regular visitor. I have been taking a keen interest in the upcoming mayoral
election.
The issues of campaign funding and political alignment seem to be ones about
which voters will be hypersensitive. In voting for mayor I would look for
effective management and a vision for the future of New Zealand's second
largest centre. Although I agree that it has little bearing on the day to day
management of the city, I do believe that one way of communicating to people
about your broad thinking on a range of issues is membership of a political
party or grouping. As an independent (or non-aligned!) candidate people will be
looking harder for information about your priorities. Moreover, in the wake of
the 2005 national elections I suspect that voters will look at campaign
contributors for clues about the thinking of candidates, or at least for an
idea of the kind of people who believe that they broadly agree with the
candidate. For example, in the Christchurch mayoralty property developers seem
to be one group of people whose choice of candidate could be quite
illuminating.
In this context I have two slighty fussy questions about your comments here on
funding issues: specifically with regards to the following
>As to funding, I have deliberately set myself at arms length to the process.
If someone offers me help of any kind I >thank them, and put them in touch with
my campaign manager. I do know that, as well as my own input, donations of time
>and money have been offered by my family, my fiancée Joanna, and friends. I
am very grateful for this help. As the >campaign gets into full swing I hope
that others will want to contribute on the basis of getting to know my
priorities. >However they will be dealing with the campaign team not me.
I am very interested in the logic of keeping yourself at arm's length from your
campaign contributors. Perhaps you feel this arrangement will help you to serve
disinterestedly if elected, however I would have thought that the way to avoid
a Hollow Men style loss of credibility would be to make your own judgements
about who it is appropriate to accept money from and then to publish a complete
list of donors?
The second point is really a clarification. I am sure it is a slip but the
phrase "others will want to contribute on the basis of getting to know my
priorities" is quite disturbing as it seems to play directly to public's fears
that increased influence and awareness of future policy are available to those
who can afford to make large donations to political campaigns. 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!
Regards
Andrew Doherty