Brian Anderson The Western Front www.sunlive.co.nz

The old fable reports on an emperor who, through his social media, had managed to convince everybody that his sartorial splendour, the ultimate in minimalist fashion was the very latest and was to be praised and admired. All of his subjects believed him, but their response to one little boy's startling revelation on the Emperor's nakedness is a sharp reminder of how fragile these media images can be.

I wonder how many of his advisers had been running around naked copying and supporting the great leader and how many of those should have lost their jobs as consultants and advisers when the truth hit home. To survive politically they would have had to form a committee to review protocol and standing orders. To manage change, the committee would have to admit nakedness, assess the implications for their different corporations and plan for a new dress code that would fit them as leaders into the future.

I am worried for the little boy who, as the messenger, was probably shot at dawn. I believe the advisers would never be willing to admit their toadying behaviour of the past and their nakedness of the present. They would most likely have wanted to focus on planning for the future. They would not want to admit responsibility for the embarrassment of the past.

We have this situation in the Bay at the moment. Our economic situation relative to the rest of the country is deteriorating, but you wouldn't believe it from the papers. SmartGrowth is offering suggestions for a positive way forward, but is already under attack from some councillors who are keen to move forward without addressing deficiencies in their current thinking. This week, we have heard some councillors are trying to blame their financial nakedness on SmartGrowth. If they are forced to use SmartGrowth to help them out of their mess, some are suggesting then that SmartGrowth will have to be rebranded. Maybe they should be rebranded too.
They can't blame SmartGrowth for all of their mistakes. It has only ever offered snapshot statistical analysis, projections and possible pathways for councils' thinking in 2002, 2006 and again this year. Statistical projections are no more reliable than a fortune teller's crystal ball and the council didn't understand the necessity for the ongoing updating of their data. The 3.5 per cent growth rate of 2006 was known to have collapsed to 0.9 per cent by 2007, but continued borrowing based on out of date financial forecasting is the cause of our current debt per capita burden.

SmartGrowth's new strategy outlined for a 2012 review involves learning from the past and publishing a Report Card, preparing a detailed analysis of the current position and obligations and, only after that, starting to plan with the latest available information. Councils didn't heed the warning signs, but the public was guilty also. I have copies of a number of reports and analyses from about 2007, but we never listened, never challenged or laughed at the right time. It is not a laughing matter now. SmartGrowth has recognised the need for involving the public in all decisions at all levels. The fact that council is not very experienced in this skill and the move to restrict public access to council meetings is a head-in-the-sand policy. Now is the time for our leaders to stand up and for us to listen, but if they became the best leaders in the world nothing will be achieved if we are not interested and not listening.