It's Hard to Keep a Good One Down, ECan Councillors Stand Again!

It’s hard to keep the good ones down, so the saying goes, and it is certainly true of our elected ECan councillors with over half of the councillors, other than those who were intending to retire, putting their names forward as councillor or mayoral candidates in the upcoming local government elections.

“The level of commitment to their communities, shown by the willingness of our elected ECan councillors to stand for councils, gives a lie to the Creech reports inference that our regional councillors lacked the commitment and cohesion to serve their region,” spokesperson Helen Isra.

“If Nick Smith was wary of the outcome of ECans 2010 democratic elections he will be positively wringing his hands now that good regional governance experience on both local and regional issues will be available to shore up Canterbury democracy in the very councils who conspired to remove our regional democratic voice. The re- election of our former ECan councillors will be a great opportunity for Cantabrians to send this government and their collaborators a clear message that they will not stand for the removal of their regional democratic voice and our elected councillors.” Isra said.

ECan in Exile is also asking the electorate to think very carefully before re-electing mayors and outspoken councillors who advocated for the removal of the our regional democratic voice. According to ECan in Exile the question each voter should ask themselves is: Have those sitting mayors and councillors demonstrated they can be trusted with the precious gem of our Canterbury democracy?

Lately the sitting Christchurch City Council mayor, who was vocal in support of the removal of the ECan council and regional elections, has moved to limit damage to his own re-election chances by calling for elections at ECan by 2012.

Mayoral candidates include: Cr Rik Tindall (CCC) , Cr Jo Kane (Waimakariri DC) and possibly Cr Angus McKay (Ashburton DC)

Council candidates so far are: Cr Rik Tindall , Sir Kerry Burke, Jane Demeter (CCC); Cr Angus McKay (Ashburton DC).

Community Board candidates so far are: Cr Rik Tindall and Cr David Sutherland (CCC Community Boards)

Elected ECan councillors standing for the upcoming local elections are shown with a ballot box symbol on the ECan in Exile YOUR COUNCILLORS webpage.

Enrol to vote: HERE.