“If you want to get along as a city councillor, then you’ve got to learn to go along.” That’s according to Chris Trotter who writes on the erosion of democratic power of Wellington’s elected councillors to bureaucratic council staff. Councillors accuse council staff of intimidating tactics, particularly over the controversial proposal to sell shares in Wellington Airport.
Trotter says that this situation raises broader questions about the authenticity of local democracy in New Zealand.
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