Candidates open up debate on workshops

BY CLAIRE CONNELL

Marlborough District councillor Gerald Hope wants council workshops open to the public so ratepayers get a better idea of how decisions are made.

He told The Marlborough Express the council took the "soft option" by holding closed-door workshops.

But former district councillor Pat O'Sullivan, who resigned last year because he objected to the private workshops, slammed Mr Hope's stance as vote-grabbing hypocrisy.

Mr Hope should have backed him if that was what he truly wanted, he said.

"If he's got any integrity he would have supported me at the time. It's quite clear he's looking for votes. If he was genuine he should have done it before now."

Councillors voted in favour of the closed-door policy in 2007.

Mayor Alistair Sowman said the council held closed workshops so staff could give information to councillors "without the glare of the public and the media".

Councillors felt free to ask questions without being scrutinised, Mr Sowman said. The majority of workshops were closed.

Mr Hope said he did not vote against the closed workshops in 2007, or support Mr O'Sullivan, because he wanted to keep the peace.

"I sat on the fence and allowed the status quo to prevail. At the time it wasn't worth splitting the council.

"There's a new council coming in next year, this is the time to raise these issues – during a campaign."

He said at a committee meeting last week he wanted the council to discuss recommendations on the Southern Marlborough Growth Strategy in public, not in committee.

Outside the meeting, he said closed workshops were the "soft option".

"In public people are reserved and they often don't ask the questions or express their true view. When they're in committee it's free range," Mr Hope said.

"People need to know who they are voting for – it's about accountability."

Highly sensitive areas such as privacy, legal issues and employment should still be discussed in committee, he said.

Mr Hope denied he was trying to boost his popularity, saying he always believed in opening the workshops.

"Pat (O'Sullivan) made a decision to resign. He should have worked with the council to get the stuff out in the open but he spat the dummy."

Mr O'Sullivan said he did not attend the workshops to make a stand against the council's closed door meetings.

Mr Sowman said he never knew Mr Hope felt that way because he did not speak up during the public spat with Mr O'Sullivan.

"If he felt that way he should have raised it earlier, but that's his call," Mr Sowman said.

Open meetings will be one of the topics raised with election candidates this month during the lead-up to council elections.

- The Marlborough Express