The Taxpayers’ Union is slamming Tauranga City Council’s Commission Chair, Anne Tolley, for misusing her position to influence the upcoming election to, ironically, replace her as the city returns to democracy.

On TVNZ’s Q+A yesterday, Tolley told Jack Tame “[she] wouldn’t vote for them” in reference to those council candidates who had previously run or been elected to the council. She has also expressed her support for a ‘hybrid model’ of governance that maintains the powers of the unelected commissioners to curtail the ability of the people of Tauranga to have their say through full democracy.

Commenting, Taxpayers’ Union Local Government Campaigns Manager, Sam Warren, said:

“As an unelected Commissioner, Anne Tolley should not be using her position to play politics, and is supposed to be politically neutral – not that you’d know it.

“The soon-to-be former Commissioner has also pushed for a ‘hybrid model’ of governance nationwide, that has been rejected by Local Government Minister Simeon Brown, which is entirely the right thing to do.

“She told Jack Tame that she understands she’s not Mayor, but in the next breath goes full politician-mode.

“This defining lack of self-awareness calls for either an apology or for Local Government Minister Simeon Brown to cut the engagement off early to demonstrate that the sort of politicisation of official roles will not be tolerated under the new Government.

“How can officials be politically neutral when the official in charge is on national TV slagging off people who are standing to be on the new council?”

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