Selwyn Mayor Pushes For Voting Exemption Amid Councillor Dissent

The Selwyn District Council in New Zealand is preparing to ask the central government for special permission to keep voting rights for its unelected members. This move comes as a new national law takes effect in March that strips voting power from representatives who were not elected by the public. The council must submit any exemption requests by November 18.

At a recent meeting, Mayor Lydia Gliddon and chief executive Steve Gibling secured support from all other councillors for the application. The sole dissenting vote came from Ellesmere Ward councillor Elizabeth Mundt. She argued that the government has signaled a clear direction to remove non-elected members from committees. Mundt stated that applying for an exemption goes against that directive.

Gliddon countered that the government explicitly created a pathway for councils to request these exemptions. She noted that there is no guarantee the application will be accepted. Mundt maintained that she agreed with the new directive and did not feel the need to apply for a waiver. She told the Selwyn Times that her position was "absolutely not" influenced by her recent decision to run as a New Zealand First candidate in the general election held on Saturday.

The law change would specifically impact three individuals in Selwyn. Independent chair Bruce Gemmell and member Carol Bellette would lose their voting rights on the audit and risk subcommittee. Additionally, Te Taumutu Rūnanga mana whenua representative Puamiria Parata-Goodall would lose voting rights on council committees, although she does not currently vote at full council meetings. Mundt believes these representatives will still be able to provide guidance to elected members during votes.

Councillor Samuel Wilshire requested that the council's legal team review the legislation's wording. He wanted to ensure an exemption was actually required before asking for one. Wilshire said he did not want to ask for permission for something the council already possessed. He described the potential request as raising a head to be smacked if the law was already on the council's side.

Mundt emphasized that she keeps her council decision-making separate from her party campaigning. She argued that financial decisions should be left to those elected to represent the community. She described her refusal to vote for the exemption application as a personal choice rather than a strategic political move.