Meet the candidates MEETINGS
Blog 21st September
Meet the candidates MEETINGS
Yesterday I wrote a short blog with a photo, about a “meet the candidates” event run by the Ethnic Board at Kelston Community Centre. I titled it, candidates meetings a thing of the past. The photo graphically showed how few members of the public turn up at these meetings, to hear candidate’s points of view.
Poor public attendance, is one of two distinct issues to why I think candidates meetings are a thing of the past. The second issue is that candidates aren’t given enough time to answer complex questions. This was graphically demonstrated this morning, when I read through the emailed intro for tonight’s Henderson Lincoln Metro Business Association meeting at the Henderson Unitec Campus.
Three minutes is far too short for a candidate to address these five questions in the depth they deserve. As a candidate you are forced to skim across the top of the issues in a very haphazard way. This leaves the public with a very superficial view of the candidates and the issues. The public leave the meeting thinking it was a waste of time and hence few return. It would be far better to have one question (not one containing multiples sub questions) so candidates have the opportunity to be more expansive with their reply.
Despite it only being one question, the public would have a better opportunity to gauge a candidates understanding of the question, how they have rationalised the actions they believe right and the type of outcomes they want to see as an answer to the question.
I believe this would leave the public far better equipped to choose a candidate they’re going to vote for.
As a candidate for the Waitakere Ward I will go to this meeting tonight, even though it states it is only for Henderson Massey Local Board candidates.
But I will answer these five questions in depth over the next couple of days at www.WestWards.co.nz
