Councillor banned from voting

South Canterbury regional councillor Bronwen Murray has been banned from voting on water issues.

But three other Environment Canterbury (ECan) councillors who hold water consents – Pat Harrow, Angus McKay and Mark Oldfield – have successfully applied for dispensation from the Auditor-General to vote on water matters.

Murray said yesterday the Auditor-General had ruled that her conflict of interest as a water consent-holder was too great to allow her to vote. Murray said she would not challenge the ruling, although she felt it was undemocratic and unfair.

"In my mind, I never had a conflict of interest. I have only ever tried to represent my constituents," she said.

"I think this ruling has severe implications for democracy and may prevent future councillors from voting on important issues."

Before last year's Auditor-General ruling that the four councillors had conflicts of interest on water matters, Murray had denied she had a conflict of interest, stating she was not the owner of a water consent.

However, Companies Office records show Murray transferred her shareholding in The Wolds Station to her husband three days after being challenged about having a conflict of interest.

The Auditor-General's report said the station would have been one of the most affected by the proposed changes, with a possible charge of $13,675.

Murray said she would transfer all shares to her sons to avoid the perception of conflicted interests. "I am not a farmer; my husband John is. I don't know the first thing about farming," she said.

"This has never been about money, and it is not my consent. I loathe not being able to campaign for my constituents against this unfair water charge."

She said she had been the victim of a "political campaign", although she acknowledged that the other three councillors had been granted an exemption.

Harrow said last night he had been advised that he was cleared to vote because the potential charge for his water consent – $50 to $300 depending on which option was approved – was deemed to be minor.

"My role in this whole thing is so minor that it shouldn't have come to this," he said.

Harrow said he would demand a public apology from former ECan chairman Sir Kerry Burke and other councillors who had sought to "disenfranchise" councillors from voting on water issues.

An ECan special meeting today is scheduled to start with a report from deputy chairwoman Jo Kane on progress on monitoring charges for water management – the topic that sparked the conflict of interests complaint to the Auditor-General by Christchurch Central Labour MP Brendon Burns.

In December, Auditor-General Lyn Provost found the four councillors had broken the law.

She said that as holders or partners of holders of water consents, they illegally debated and voted against proposed water charges last June.

Provost and the Crown Law Office decided not to prosecute them, saying it would not be in the public interest to do so and that convictions would be unlikely.

ECan chairman Alec Neill said yesterday the four councillors needed to be part of the debate at the meeting, which will consider the 2010-11 budget.

"To exclude them from the budget process of council – it flies in the face of democracy and their elected representation role."

He said that if councillors removed themselves from the council table for fear of other conflicts, that might mean a quorum of seven members could not be maintained.

- © Fairfax NZ News