Jane Nees BOP Regional Councillor www.janenees.co.nz

It shouldn’t annoy me, because it is unfortunately part of the political scene, but I dislike political posturing. 

I prefer straight-up information provision and honest discussion, rather than attacks in the media with a range of hidden agendas.  Even worse, are comments made or reported based on a misunderstanding of the facts of the matter, on incomplete information, or only giving part of the picture. 

And I know it isn’t always the fault of the political commentator.  Local government is not good at making information simple and easy to understand, so it is easy to get the wrong end of the stick or at least the wrong impression of the bigger picture.  The media is also very good at taking comments out of context and of accentuating the negative while minimising the positive. 

Another of my dislikes is the way that political point scoring is often used to deflect attention away from another matter, or set the scene for another political agenda.  Those in politics are aware of what is happening, but those on the outside may not be and they can get a false impression of the true situation.

There should always be room for fair criticism and open discussion.  There are mechanisms for this to be given and received, and honest feedback is always welcome.  But when it comes to negative pot-shots from those we normally work closely with, I get a bit frustrated.  We should be working together collaboratively to sort out issues not firing shots through the media.  Let’s focus on positive politics!

If you have any views on this or any other issue, please email neesj@xtra.co.nz