Julie, who are you listening to?

Rototuna resident Matthew Perry says Mayor Julie Hardaker really needs to pull her socks up if she wants to have a successful term leading the Hamilton City Council.

He thinks the mayor did not listen well to her voters in the last term and will have to prove herself to make him a happy Hamilton resident.

Perry thinks Hardaker was well aware of the previous fluoride referendum results, and should have realised that Hamiltonions want fluoride in the water.

Although the council was obliged to carry out the referendum after receiving enough signatures to do so, Perry is not happy with how it was handled.

“I really, really don’t appreciate how she led the fluoride debate. What really slacks me off, is that 69% of voters in the election said put fluoride back in the water, that result is very similar to what it was in 2006. She knew from a referendum in 2006 that Hamiltonions want fluoride. But instead of listening to her constituents, she listened to a few activists.

“That’s why I don’t like her, because who is she listening to?” Perry said.

“I think she’s lucky to get in this term. She won’t get another term if she carries on this way. If Dave Mac hadn’t even run, perhaps Ewan Wilson could have taken her out.”

Perry is not excited about the prospect of the installation of water meters and would rather see the water pipes fixed, and a rain catchment installed at houses.

“We should have water tanks for garden and toilet water. The fact that we flush huge amounts of drinkable water, would make a lot of countries, especially in the Middle East just cry.”

Perry said there were not too many options for mayor, which is why he thinks Hardaker got back in.

“The opposition was a bit weak, maybe if Martin Gallagher had run for mayor, he could have taken her out,” he said. “She needs to start listening to ratepayers.”

Perry believes that the local electoral process does need some reform, including how we vote, and how we encourage others to vote.

“The turnout of voting was very disappointing, hearing people were rushing to get their votes in on Saturday is pretty sad.”

Having lived in countries where residents don’t have the right to vote, he believes it is our right in a democratic country.

He wants to see the process of voting changed or reformed and wants the public to be motivated to vote.

“You’re voting partly for personal gain, but you also want to vote because you are inspired by leadership and you are grateful to have democracy. There has to be some motivation to exercise your right, there will always be people who won’t.”