Learning the right way

It is to be hoped that Andrew Hollis, recently elected new Tauranga City Councillor, learns that the keys to real council performance are – listen to others' views, find ‘articles' of persuasion, and never, ever denigrate your fellow councillors.

Council is not like a letters column in the local paper where citizens take pot shots at people of a different view. Councillors need to find ways to work together.

And while we're talking about letter-writing contributors, R. Prince's letter ‘Divided Council' (The Weekend Sun, November 22, page 33) demonstrates how not to address differences in a persuasive way. He breaks away from Tenby bashing, to bash other groups and subgroups with accusations of what he does and doesn't believe.

I happen to disagree on the substance of practically everything he stands for and find his style to be that of a blunt instrument. Nowhere is this more blunt than saying, in effect, 'Robson is too bright” for the rest on council and that's why he is offside.

I would put forward a different theory – that Mr Robson is actually a very divisive personality who fails to win people over with his tactics and arguments. But that's just my opinion.

M Maunder, Otumoetai.

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1 comment

REPRESENTING VOTERS

Posted on 03-12-2019 13:45 | By crazyhorse

Not there to 'pander' to the mayor or other councilors. what a lot of people here don't understand is that all councilors here were voted in, they were not 'given' seats on the council, all these people campaigned on certain issues and people 'voted' them in for 'those' issues.


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