Paul Henson - Think Taupo

Changes need to be made to the Local Government Act so it actually has some teeth.

Currently it looks like a set of recommendations, not a legally binding set of rules, with no penalties for transgressions.

Access to Candidates' Curriculum Vitae should be a mandatory requirement.

Councillors may be vastly under-qualified to make multi-million decisions and have wasted $ millions.

Questions for candidates - details of their understanding of critical analysis, long term planning, independent decision making, evidence of consultation with the community

• What general qualifications or experience do you have?
• What financial experience or qualifications do you have?
• (If current councillor) What evidence do you have of successful council projects?
• What public meetings have you organised with ratepayers?
• How would you vote (or would you have voted) on the following projects? (recent major council projects). Why?
• How many consultants reports have you voted for and at what cost?
• How many of these reports have their cost justified in successful projects?
• Show evidence that you can make strategic long term decisions.
• Show evidence that you can do in-depth research into projects.
• Show evidence that you can make independent decisions and not just go along with a majority.