Summarised by Centrist
Christchurch City Councillor Aaron Keown has unveiled a new website, howtheyvoted.nz, designed to let residents see exactly how councillors voted on issues ranging from rates to speed bumps.
Keown, who was re-elected unopposed in Harewood, says the project is about transparency and accountability.
Keown told journalist Chris Lynch that voters often ask who made controversial decisions and why, so he created a centralised tool: “You can just choose the issue that annoys you the most, click on it, and see who voted for it.”
He expects the site may even influence councillors’ behaviour. He pointed to a recent debate on a speed hump where several councillors spoke in favour but changed their votes at the last moment. “I think that’s because it’s election time. Now people know these votes will be posted and shared,” Keown said.
Keown said some dislike the public seeing how they voted when majorities disagree with them and shrugged off claims that the site oversimplifies complex issues: “That’s exactly what the public does. Our council spends millions on communications, and still, people don’t know what’s going on. If I say councillors voted for a speed bump, people understand that.”
The councillor says the concept should be adopted nationwide: “This gives people the chance to look at how someone voted and decide if they want to keep that councillor or not.”
