Ryan Bridge: The silence was deafening in our local elections

If the Coalition was looking for an endorsement of its rates cap idea, it got one over the weekend. Of the 18 councils that hit ratepayers with double-digit hikes this year, 13 elected new mayors. Newsroom had great coverage of the results. Tim Macindoe won in Hamilton. If the name sounds familiar — he’s a former National MP. Rates there rose 41% in three years. Go figure. Voters aren’t stupid and should never be taken for granted. Rates hikes are driving domestic inflation. Not only are you paying more to your council — they’re helping to keep interest rates higher. It’s a double burn in the back pocket. Our most important city councils — Auckland, Christchurch, and Hamilton — are now led by right-of-centre mayors. The results speak for themselves. But the problem, of course, is the sample size. Seventy percent of us didn’t bother voting. Ask ten pundits why, and you’ll get ten different answers. I think the problem is simple: the size and scope of local government is out of control. In a small Pacific island nation at the bottom of the world, we just elected 1,500 people to sit on 78 different councils. Mayors are just one vote at the table — they’re not really that special. Low turnout isn’t a rejection of the candidates. It’s a rejection of the system. It’s too big. Too much compromise. Too many meetings, committees, and club sandwiches. If the Coalition listens to the 30% who did vote and caps rates, they should also listen to the overwhelming silent majority who didn’t. That means throwing entire councils in the bin. Halve the number of councillors. Give the mayor a veto vote so there’s accountability and a vision to vote for. The lowest voter turnout in 36 years is a mandate for change — and change looks like a giant local government bonfire.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.