@Rex: fair point and well said. I guess it all depends on the intent - something we will probably never know. As I said on a related article - the only thing one can take from this is that politics is dirty.

Heh - your comment about the nature of the message just puts me in mind of something (I have used this before) from a book called "Rough Draft" by The Modern Humorist. A poster of how Alien was originally going to be advertised - accurately: "In space, no-one can hear you scream. Unless they are in the same spaceship as you, in which case they can hear you, they just can't **help** you".

I was thinking of how the message would have read if it was made totally factually accurate. :-)

Gravey #22

Yes, yes, yes. You are absolutely right but it's hardly a mortal sin or a sign of deep-seated corruption. The reality is that the Council will generally accept the Mayor's recommendation.

Ok so maybe Tim should have offered to recommend her for the job rather than offer it outright but I know from personal experience that when you ring someone and get an answer phone you don't always manage to cover all bases in the message you leave.

If Suzanne had been able to answer the phone a very different conversation may have taken place. I just don't think it's as big an issue as Fact's Please wants it to be. When you consider the sort of corruption that takes place in other countries we have very little to worry about. This is the small stuff that's not worth sweating - IMHO.

@Rex: I had to research it - something I would recommend to people.

Clause 17 of Schedule 7 of the Local Government Act provides for the appointment or election of deputy mayor in accordance with clause 25, which reads:

(1) This clause applies to— ...(b) the election or appointment of the deputy mayor; and ... (2) If this clause applies, a local authority or a committee (if the local authority has so directed) must determine by resolution that a person be elected or appointed by using one of the following systems of voting: (a) the voting system in subclause (3) (system A): (b) the voting system in subclause (4) (system B).

(3) System A— (a) requires that a person is elected or appointed if he or she receives the votes of a majority of the members of the local authority or committee present and voting; and (b) has the following characteristics: (i) there is a first round of voting for all candidates; and (ii) if no candidate is successful in that round there is a second round of voting from which the candidate with the fewest votes in the first round is excluded; and (iii) if no candidate is successful in the second round there is a third, and if necessary subsequent, round of voting from which, each time, the candidate with the fewest votes in the previous round is excluded; and (iv) in any round of voting, if 2 or more candidates tie for the lowest number of votes, the person excluded from the next round is resolved by lot.

(4) System B— (a) requires that a person is elected or appointed if he or she receives more votes than any other candidate; and (b) has the following characteristics: (i) there is only 1 round of voting; and (ii) if 2 or more candidates tie for the most votes, the tie is resolved by lot

(http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2002/0084/latest/DLM175643.html)

Can anyone see in here where the Mayor has the power to give someone the job of deputy mayor. How do you feel about a mayor subverting democratic process?

If someone offered you the job, wouldn't you retain evidence of the fact in case it comes back to bite you? I sure as hell would.

"Another option"??? Why didn't the Sad Times hone on this?? This is obviously not the first conversation Shadders had with Princess...what were the first option/s??? Who initiated the first contact and what was discussed?? And SP, tell us, why is it so important to have business experience?? From what I can tell, managing your own personal 'career' is not the same as leading various factions of local government. There are oodles of examples of people with a 'genuine' desire to do good in politics who found in impossible to cope with the reality of game playing and frustrations of red tape. Why do you need a campaign manager? What campaign is there to manage - you're not fronting up to debates. Your ILT cronies have hung you out to dry - as soon as they realised the only people that control this city are us, the voters.

it's a non story that the media are trying to make something out of.

@Facts Please: Thank you for the clarification. Presuming your comments are reflective of a standard process, then it is as I had suspected. Keeping messages is not abnormal - especially if you think the subject matter might cause problems.

I've kept questionable messages for months just in case they recur.

I am really interested in how the whole story broke. Reading the article, the Times found out about the offer ... somehow. It looks like Mr Shadbolt had conversations with the Times. It **seems** Ms Prentice did not. She says she released the message in the interests of transparency, but Mr Shadbolt also called for the recording to be released so it could be placed in context.

If there is anything "wrong" about this, it would be Mr Shadbolt indicating that he will "bring on" Ms Prentice as his deputy. The deputy mayor cannot just be appointed. They can only be elected by the TA. It presumes she would even be elected to the Council.

So it leads me to the question: Do you want a mayor willing to subvert democratic process and make promises that any reasonable person would know he has no power to make, let alone keep? Your call.

@ Anne #14

I fail to see what Tim did wrong? She is a know-nothing wannabe mayor who has not even sat on Council. He offered her an a(Prentice)ship (sorry for the bad pun) and she tried to turn it against him (proving her know-nothing status).

As for the "She didn't leak it" claim, I have to ask how the paper knew she had this message from so long ago?

Epic fail Suzanne. Try running for Council so people can find out how you operate in that environment before you go for Mayor. I think you will regret not taking up Tim's offer.

Obviously you people have never involved in business. It is common practise in my business for telephone messages to be kept. In many instances we have needed to refer to them for clarification on matters, costings etc. On many occasions saving these messages has been a saving grace for us. Obviously, on this occasion, it has been a saving grace for Suzanne. I am very impressed by Suzanne's business skills and her obvious business sense in keeping these details and am delighted to see that our next mayor is going to have such great business sense, something the present mayor is seriously lacking. Not only are her business skills sound, she is open, honest and reliable and she doesn't back down to bullying or bullies. Here's hoping you all pack yourselve's into Tim's V8 on October 9th and drive into the sunset, never to be seen again, then we can all be rest assured Invercargill can finally have a mayor we can all be proud. How long have we all waited for that.

At R List # 3

Yes, because a really really good singer is what we need for a mayor?!

This election was suppose to be exciting because two high profile candidates were rearing to go head to head. It's become a snooze fest as Sue-dogg has wimped out and is relying on her pretty face and voice to win! thats not politics. I'd love to go have a debate with Mayor Tim just for kicks, she should be doing the same. My vote (again) is for Tim!

Why does this message not "sit comfortably" with Ms Prentice. It is simply a rather inocuous suggestion. Political dynamite it is not!

Rather bizarre to keep the recording though!