Well, the final results are out and my time at the Regional Council has ended after just one term. I was 1200 votes off the pace.
While I am very disappointed, I have to accept that the people have spoken. Either they did not want what I was offering or I did not communicate sufficiently. Obviously, both can be true too!
I had no Plan B so am now on the lookout for appropriate roles.
It is 25 years since I first put me name forward for election to public service: First with TECT, then the DHB and finally with the Regional Council. Years ago, I read a Harvard Paper that found that the ideal time limit in governance roles is 12 years, and I have limited myself to that, stepping down from TECT, the DHB and SILC at the time (actually SILC was 13 years but I did offer my resignation at 12). Three years seems a bit short!
I still have some community service governance roles: with BlindLowVision, Consumer NZ, Workbridge Holdings and the NZ AA and so I am keen to find a role in which I can both grow and contribute. Feel free to contact me with offers.
I will not contribute to anything that encourages what I call the Tyranny of Low Expectations i.e. where the raison d’être is, in practice, to keep people NOT believing in their capacity to lead full lives. And I abhor hypocrisy (which might be a bit hypocritical of me at times, I guess – glass walls and all that).
Thank you to all those who have put their faith in me over the past couple of decades. Voters, supporters delivering flyers, helping with hoardings, suggesting policy etc. I thoroughly enjoyed the Council and hope I made some worthwhile contributions.
To those who are now in the seat I wish you all the best. You have some big decisions coming your way – only some of which are in the public domain.
I have been asked if I will still contribute to public debate. We will see but I suspect there is nothing more “ex” than an ex-politician and it is not always becoming to engage as if one is still relevant. I am now merely a general member of the public known as a ratepayer.
Let us see what the future holds.